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{{Infobox royalty
| name          = Alexandra
| title          = {{wp|Defender of the Faith|Defender of the Faiths}}<br/>[[President of the Hanoverian Union]]<br/>{{wp|Head of the Commonwealth}}<br/>{{wp|Head of the British Armed Forces}}<br/>[[Head of the Netherlands Armed Forces]]<br/>[[Commander-in-Chief of the Luxembourg Armed Forces]]
| image        = ALS.jpg


| image_size    = Medium
| succession  = {{wp|Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen of the British}} and of the People of other {{wp|Commonwealth Realms|Commonwealth realms}}
| moretext    =
| reign        = 13 October 2017 - present
| reign-type  = Reign
| coronation  = 1 August 2019
| cor-type    = Coronation
| predecessor  = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]]
| pre-type    = Predecessor
| regent      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|David Cameron}}<br/>{{wp|Philip Hammond}}}}
| reg-type    = {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}
| successor    =
| suc-type    =
| succession1  =
| moretext1    =
| reign1      = 
| reign-type1  =
| coronation1  =
| cor-type1    =
| predecessor1 =
| pre-type1    =
| regent1      =
| reg-type1    =
| successor1  =
| suc-type1    =
| succession2  = {{wp|Monarchy of the Netherlands|Queen of the Dutch}}
| moretext2    =
| reign2      = 13 October 2017 - present
| reign-type2  =
| coronation2  = 1 January 2018
| cor-type2    = Inauguration
| predecessor2 = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]]
| pre-type2    = Predecessor
| regent2      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|Mark Rutte}}<br/>{{wp|Paul Magnette}}}}
| reg-type2    = {{wp|Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister}}
| successor2  =
| suc-type2    =
| succession3  = {{wp|Monarchy of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess of the Luxembourgers}}
| moretext3    =
| reign3      = 13 October 2017 - present
| reign-type3  = Reign
| coronation3  = 1 January 2018
| cor-type3    = Coronation
| predecessor3 = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]]
| pre-type3    = Predecessor
| regent3      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|Xavier Bettel}}<br/>{{wp|Luc Frieden}}}}
| reg-type3    = {{wp|Prime Minister of Luxembourg|Prime Minister}}
| successor3  =
| suc-type3    =
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1996|5|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place    = {{wp|Margaretha House}}, {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, {{wp|United States}}
| spouse              =
| spouse-type          =
| issue                =
| full name      = Alexandra Katharine Charles Nicole Lauren Elizabeth Thomas
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}}-{{wp|House of Stuart|Stuart}}-{{wp|House of Orange-Nassau|Orange-Nassau}}
| father        = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]]
| mother        = {{wp|Christy Turlington}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
| module = {{Infobox person | embed=yes
| alma_mater = {{wp|Seattle University}}<br/>{{wp|London School of Economics}} ({{wp|Master of Economics|MEc}})<br/>{{wp|King's College London}} ({{wp|PhD}})
| signature = [[File:SignatureAlex.png|200px]]
  }}
}}
'''Alexandra''' ({{wp|English}}: ''Alexandra Katharine Charles Nicole Lauren Elizabeth Thomas''; {{wp|German}}: ''Alexandra Kathrin Carl Nikole Laurens Elisabeth Thomas''; {{wp|Dutch}}: ''Alexandra Catharina Carel Nicole Laurens Elisabeth Thomas''; {{wp|French}}: ''Alexandra Catherine Charles Nicole Lauren Élisabeth Thomas''; born 11 May 1996) is {{wp|Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen of the British}}, {{wp|Monarchy of the Netherlands|Queen of the Dutch}}, and {{wp|Monarchy of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess of the Luxembourgers}}. On 13 October 2017, she simultaneously ascended to the {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} thrones following the voluntary abdication of her father [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]], becoming the second {{wp|British}} and {{wp|Dutch}} queen regnant in history and the first duchess regnant in {{wp|Luxembourgish}} history. As {{wp|Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen of the British}}, she is the official head of state of approximately eight independent nations, a role she also exercises as the constitutional monarch of the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}. In addition, she is also the head of the {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations}} as well as the [[President of the Hanoverian Union|president]] of the [[Hanoverian Union]], a politico-economic union consisting of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, {{wp|Netherlands}}, and {{wp|Luxembourg}}.
Born in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, {{wp|United States}} as the eldest child of [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] and the {{wp|American}} supermodel {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, Alexandra initially lived out the first three years of her life with her mother in the {{wp|United States}} before later permanently moving to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} at the age of three. Generally considered to be one of the most talented female footballers in the world, in her youth, Alexandra enjoyed a somewhat successful career as a striker for {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}}, with whom she won the {{wp|Women's Super League}} a total of seven times, the {{wp|Women's FA Cup}} thrice, the {{wp|FA Women's League Cup}} six times, and the {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League}} twice during which she became both the {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|club}}'s and the {{wp|Women's Super League}}'s leading goalscorer with 107 goals in 98 total appearances, the second-most goalscorer in the {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League}} behind {{wp|Ada Hegerberg}} with 53 goals, as well as holding the joint record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League}} season (15) and the sole record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Women's Super League}} season (25). Moreover, during a brief two-year period, Alexandra also enjoyed a relatively successful career with the {{wp|National Women's Soccer League}} side {{wp|OL Reign|Seattle Reign FC}}, with whom she won the {{wp|NWSL Championship}} in 2014. Meanwhile, on the international level, Alexandra was a member of the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}}, with whom she won the {{wp|2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015}} and {{wp|2019 FIFA Women's World Cup|2019}} {{wp|FIFA Women's World Cup|Women's World Cups}} and the {{wp|UEFA Women's Euro 2017}}, their first few major titles, while also having won the {{wp|2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup}} and finishing as runners-up in the {{wp|2013 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship}} with the {{wp|England women's national under-20 football team|under-20 squad}}. With 84 goals scored in 71 appearances, she is the leading all-time female goalscorer for {{wp|England}} and is one of only two female players to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|FIFA Women's World Cup|Women's World Cup}} final alongside compatriot {{wp|Georgia Stanway}}. In addition, she is also the leading all-time goalscorer in the {{wp|UEFA Women's Championship}} with 12 goals and the second-highest all-time goalscorer in the {{wp|World Cup}} (men or women) with 21 goals. A three-time {{wp|Ballon d'Or Féminin}} winner, Alexandra was an instrumental figure in the foundation of the award and later won its inaugural edition in 2015 before following it up with two further wins in 2017 and 2019, becoming both its youngest winner at nineteen and the one with the most awards won to date (3). Meanwhile, the [[Alexandra Trophy]], awarded to the best-performing female player under the age of 21, is named after her.
Over the first two years of her reign, the period was marked by a temporary regency led by her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}. However, beginning from the end of her regency in August 2019, Alexandra's reign has since come to be marked by several notable events including the {{wp|COVID-19}} pandemic, {{wp|Black Lives Matters}} protests, political crises, and {{wp|Russia}}'s {{wp|Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion}} of {{wp|Ukraine}} in February 2022. Moreover, her reign has also been a period of considerable success for {{wp|England}} in football with both the {{wp|England national football team|men}}'s and {{wp|Lionesses|women}}'s national teams being mutually successful on the international stage.
At 27 years old, Alexandra is both the youngest reigning monarch and the youngest serving state leader in the world as well as being just one of only three queen regnants in the world alongside {{wp|Romania}}'s {{wp|Margareta of Romania|Queen Margareta}} and {{wp|Japan}}'s [[Akiko|Empress Akiko]]. Since October 2019, she has served as honorary president of {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and is the sister of professional footballers [[William Smith]] and [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]]. With an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion, she is also one of the richest monarchs in the world.
==Early Life==
[[File:Estate.jpg|thumb|right|The {{wp|Margaretha House}}, a country estate privately owned by the {{wp|British royal family}} and located in the region of {{wp|Upstate New York}}. Built in the 1940s, it has served as a private retreat for {{wp|British}} royals in the {{wp|United States}} and is named after {{wp|Princess Margaretha of Sweden}}, the second wife of [[Frederick of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Frederick]]]]
Born on 11 May 1996 at the {{wp|Margaretha House}}, a country estate belonging to the {{wp|British royal family}} in {{wp|Skaneateles (town), New York|Skaneateles}}, {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, Alexandra was the eldest child of [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Prince Thomas]] and the {{wp|American}} supermodel {{wp|Christy Turlington}}. Conceived in the midst of her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}'s university studies in the {{wp|United States}}, she was her parents' firstborn child but otherwise her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s third overall child with her two half-siblings from the latter's previous relationship with actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} preceding her. Nonetheless, in the first few minutes that followed, news of the princess's birth quickly circulated and soon became a source of great celebrations worldwide particularly in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} where she would set to become its first queen regnant in over two hundred years. Similarly, in both the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}, the reception towards the princess's birth was also mostly positive given that, in the case of the {{wp|Dutch}}, Alexandra would become their first queen regnant in over three hundred years after the 18th-century {{wp|Mary III, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Mary III}}, and in the case of {{wp|Luxembourg}}, their first-ever grand duchess regnant in the country's centuries-old history.
{{multiple image
| align    = left
| direction = horizontal
| header    =
| header_align =
| header_background =
| footer    = The Queen's two half-siblings: [[William Smith]], a professional football manager and former player, and [[Jacqueline Smith]], a broadcaster, journalist, and politician. Their mother is the {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} who is best known for starring in the television series ''{{wp|Charlie's Angels}}''
| footer_align = left
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| image1    = SWS.jpg
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| image2    = JAL.jpeg
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}}
Upon baptism, she was named Alexandra Katharine Charles Nicole Lauren Elizabeth Thomas, in which her first name, meaning "defender of men", was deliberately chosen to signify her future role as her country's queen regnant, while her following middle names, in no particular order, were intended as tributes to the royal's maternal grandmother {{wp|Maria Elizabeth}}, the {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, a close and lifelong friend of her paternal grandparents, her paternal grandparents [[Charles the Great|King Charles III]] and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}, followed by her own parents, the future [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] and {{wp|Christy Turlington|Queen}}. Meanwhile, her godparents included {{wp|US}} Senator {{wp|Ted Kennedy}}, {{wp|Prime Minister of Israel}} {{wp|Shimon Peres}}, along with singers {{wp|Frank Sinatra|Frank}} and {{wp|Nancy Sinatra}}, {{wp|George Michael}}, and {{wp|Elton John}}. In addition to this, the star-studded list also included {{wp|Hollywood}} celebrities {{wp|Sean Connery}}, {{wp|Hugh Grant}}, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, and {{wp|Elizabeth Taylor}}, along with the rest of the "big five" supermodels. Aside from this, Alexandra also boasts a fairly rich ethnic background as she is of {{wp|English}}, {{wp|German}}, and {{wp|Romanian}} descent through her paternal ancestors and is also of {{wp|Salvadoran}} descent through her maternal ancestors. In this, she was also born into a religiously diverse household with her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] and [[Charles the Great|paternal grandfather]] being of the {{wp|Protestant}} faith, her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} and {{wp|Maria Elizabeth|maternal grandmother}} of the {{wp|Roman Catholic}} faith, and her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|paternal grandmother}} of the {{wp|Jewish}} faith, which Alexandra later credited in massively establishing her as a very tolerant person, stating, ''"By circumstance, when you essentially grow up among people that come from very different backgrounds, you're essentially bound to learn and to respect the differences in your life because at the end of the day they are what makes the world so unique and interesting all around which is something that is just rather bizarre to even dislike or hate in the first place"''.
In the months following Alexandra's birth, a contentious debate briefly ensued between Alexandra's family members on whether the young princess would be raised in her ancestral country albeit at the cost of being temporarily separated from her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} for the time being or whether she would instead be raised abroad in the {{wp|United States}} by none other than her own {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} who at the time of her firstborn daughter's birth was pre-occupied with her studies at {{wp|New York University}}, a circumstance which concerned the princess's grandparents, who were worried that the infant Alexandra could not be taken care of well by her rather busy {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}. In the end, it was agreed upon by both sides that the young princess would largely remain with her mother in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, so as to not separate the two both physically and mentally, especially at such an early age for the newborn princess. Meanwhile, on his part, after being forced to return to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} as a result of his [[Charles the Great|father]]'s abdication on January 1997, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]] continued to maintain regular contact with both his {{wp|Christy Turlington|wife}} and daughter by usually residing with them for the first six months of the next two years in which case his brother [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]] would temporarily assume the former's royal duties as regent while the remaining six months of both years would otherwise be spent by [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]] alone back in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, thereby guaranteeing a somewhat perfect balance between his marital and regnal duties. Later on, despite this peculiar arrangement, Alexandra herself came to describe her first few years in a mostly positive manner with her fondest memories including "rolling around on the grass at {{wp|Central Park}}" and "having small family picnics by the {{wp|Connecticut}} coast".   
While still in her adolescence, a young Alexandra would come to almost regularly follow her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} on the latter's humanitarian trips abroad, a routine that was said to have begun when she was around ten years old where the royal, if not occupied with her schoolwork, would usually be tagging along with her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} to various places abroad with the very first place that she visited being the {{wp|Central American}} country of {{wp|El Salvador}} where her maternal grandmother had originally come from. However, such a move was not without some controversy, owing to the country's notoriously high crime rate, although this itself proved fruitless in preventing the young princess from following her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} there, with Alexandra herself later stating, ''"Reasonably speaking, there was some fair amount of concern over my personal safety as a mere ten-year-old going into some rather unsafe country but at the same time it opened my eyes as well as exposed myself to an entirely different environment and community, one that does not necessarily share the same comfort and luxury as perhaps an average {{wp|European}} citizen would"''. Aside from this, Alexandra also followed her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} along to {{wp|African}} countries such as {{wp|Ethiopia}} where she personally met then-{{wp|First Lady of Ethiopia|First Lady}} {{wp|Azeb Mesfin}} who later recalled the princess as a "very intuitive and bright young girl" and who was "very concerned and thoughtful about things happening around her". In addition, she also once visited the tiny landlocked nation of {{wp|Eswatini}} where she later candidly recounted being "very surprised" by the number of wives held by the reigning {{wp|Mswati III|King Mswati III}} who currently has fifteen wives in total. Even more, the young princess and her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} also visited the relatively new nation of {{wp|East Timor}} as one of the first few foreign dignitaries since the country gained its independence from {{wp|Indonesia}} in which they were welcomed by {{wp|President of East Timor|President}} {{wp|Xanana Gusmão}} whose {{wp|East Timor|country}}'s independence from {{wp|Indonesia}} was restored largely due to the efforts of [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]], Alexandra's own father, in successfully pressuring the {{wp|Indonesian}} government to hold a referendum that saw the majority of {{wp|East Timor}} voting to secede from the country.
Having been raised in a somewhat athletic and sports-centric household, from as young as seven years old, Alexandra was quick to be exposed to a variety of sports, namely {{wp|basketball}}, {{wp|tennis}}, {{wp|archery}}, and {{wp|golf}}, with perhaps the most notable one being none other than {{wp|football}} which she came to immediately embrace and possess much passion for. In this, she was enrolled at the youth academy for {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} whose women's side she later enjoyed a widely successful career with. In the meantime, Alexandra is also known to have enjoyed recreational swimming, having once dove to photograph the seabed of the {{wp|Long Island Sound}}, an activity that is said to be a daily habit whenever she is visiting the {{wp|US}} state of {{wp|Connecticut}} where her family occasionally retreats to for private vacations. Among others, Alexandra is also a proficient horseback rider with her favourite horse being a white {{wp|thoroughbred}} whom she named "Bolt". Evidently, her deeply rooted love for sports meant that {{wp|physical education}} was indisputably one of her favourite subjects in school although she is still described by most of her former teachers to be an "all-rounder" student who is excellent in both academics and sports. Ironically, Alexandra has otherwise refuted claims or assertions of her being a "{{wp|tomboy}}", stating, ''"Undoubtedly, I did do a lot of sports and was, to some extent, very physical growing up but deep down I'm personally no different than the average girly young girl. Honestly speaking, if not sports, some of the things I like to do are dancing to my favourite songs and playing dress-up with my {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} who just knows how to make her little princesses look and feel pretty each time"''.
===Change In Succession Laws===
Owing to the passage of the {{wp|Succession to the Crown Act 2013|Succession to the Crown Act 1995}} by the {{wp|British}} parliament and the passage of corresponding laws by the {{wp|Dutch}} and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} parliaments respectively which, among others, established a new absolute primogeniture succession system in the place of the old male-preference primogeniture succession system that previously dictated the succession laws in all three countries, Alexandra, as a result, was simultaneously made the first {{wp|Duchess of Cornwall}}, first {{wp|Princess of Orange}}, and the first {{wp|Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg}} in her own right, thereby fully confirming her status as her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s undisputed heir apparent. Prior to this, no female {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, or {{wp|Luxembourgish}} royal has ever held the aforementioned titles in their own right, as the previous male-preference primogeniture system made it that any male siblings, regardless of birth order, would always be ahead of their female siblings in the line of succession to the throne for all three countries. Meanwhile, on her very first birthday, having automatically been both the {{wp|Princess of Orange}} and the {{wp|Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg}} from birth, Alexandra was then officially made {{wp|Prince of Wales|Princess of the Welsh}}, although her investiture ceremony for the said title would not take place until she turned around twenty years old.
Regardless, the decision was met with a unanimously positive reception by the public with then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Tony Blair}}, who had taken office just a few days earlier, heralding the proclamation as a "great milestone for gender equality in {{wp|Britain}}". A similarly positive response also came from {{wp|Dutch}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Wim Kok}} and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} {{wp|Prime Minister of Luxembourg|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Jean-Claude Juncker}}, both of whom echoed {{wp|Tony Blair|Blair}}'s heralding of "gender equality" in society. In particular, {{wp|Jean-Claude Juncker|Juncker}}, whose country would see the accession of its first-ever female ruler, said, ''"The history of {{wp|Luxembourg}} is undoubtedly marked by kings and grand dukes but never before a queen or a grand duchess. Now, after almost a thousand years, {{wp|Luxembourg}} will bear witness to its first female ruler in history who will surely leave her own mark on the country's history as she reigns"''.
===Education===
[[File:SIS.jpg|thumb|right|The {{wp|Southbank International School}} in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|England}}, where the royal attended for her primary and secondary studies]]
Having initially spent her formative years at home with her family, the princess, upon reaching the age of seven, was then enrolled at the {{wp|Southbank International School}} in {{wp|London}} located just two miles away from her nearby family residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}. However, for the first few weeks or so, the princess was faced with some notable setbacks as photographers would often wait outside of the school perimeter to photograph the princess's arrival and departure from the school, much to the annoyance of the {{wp|British royal family}} themselves, so much so that on one occasion, a photographer for {{wp|The Sun (United Kingdom)|''The Sun''}} busy photographing the princess while the latter was departing from her school was once run over by the royal's mother {{wp|Christy Turlington|Queen Christy}} who was then attempting to force through her vehicle past the swarm of photographers outside of the school, an incident that resulted in a brief but heavily publicised trial where her mother was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. Instead, {{wp|Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales}} {{wp|Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf|Lord Woolf}} ruled that the photographer, thirty-seven-year-old {{wp|Zachary Bell}}, had "unnecessarily intruded on the privacy of another individual who in response was consequently forced to adopt a measure of last resort in order to clear their way out of the situation". Nonetheless, a few days later, {{wp|Christy Turlington|Queen Christy}} was reported to have donated a sum of £100 to the photographer, which {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} then described as a "gesture of goodwill" and said that "the royal family has absolutely no intentions of harbouring a grudge against any human being, only reconciliation and friendship". Nonetheless, the incident itself soon prompted nationwide debate over the ethics of paparazzi in which the photographer's "rude" and "invasive" behaviour when in the proximity of a member of the royal family was severely criticised, causing then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Tony Blair}}, with near-unanimous support in the {{wp|House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons}}, to then pass the [[Princess Alexandra Act 2004]] into law, effectively prohibiting the paparazzi from photographing underage subjects under any possible circumstances, therefore giving the princess herself some much-needed privacy and breathing space in undergoing her daily life. Similarly, the same was also done in the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}, with the former even going so far as to declare that while photographs of the royals while they are on duty are permitted, photographs of them while they are off duty are otherwise only permitted through government arrangement on the condition that they are left alone by the press afterward.
Gìven the fact that she never attended kindergarten beforehand, coupled with her extreme personal closeness to her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}, in her early years at least, Alexandra came to develop a reputation for being somewhat shy around her peers and who is otherwise strongly connected to her parents, especially her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}, who was consequently forced to accompany her daughter to school for the first few weeks or so just to calm the young princess down and alleviate the latter's immediate concerns over being temporarily separated from her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} for a few hours each day. Nonetheless, despite her initial reclusiveness and strong emotional attachment to her parents, Alexandra otherwise proved to be an academically gifted young student, excelling in the subjects of {{wp|English}}, {{wp|Mathematics}}, and {{wp|History}}. Moreover, her somewhat extensive and high-level vocabulary, which became evident when she was to write or speak at length, has also been a particular subject of praise by her teachers, with one even praising the royal's "{{wp|Shakespearean}} level of command" of the {{wp|English}} language, noting her occasional use of exquisite and uncommon {{wp|English}} words especially when writing essays.
Upon graduating from secondary school, Alexandra decided to further her studies abroad in the {{wp|United States}} where she attended the {{wp|Seattle University}}, a private {{wp|Jesuit}} university in {{wp|Seattle}}, {{wp|Washington (state)|Washington}} that was chosen for convenience following her signing by {{wp|OL Reign|Seattle Reign FC}}. However, her time at the university would not last long as it would be abruptly cut short following the death of her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|grandmother}} on 12 August 2014, which effectively put an end to her academic pursuits in the {{wp|United States}} as the princess fell victim to a months-long depressive episode. Then, upon a successful recovery from her depression, she later resumed her studies at the {{wp|London School of Economics}}, from where she went on to graduate with a master's degree in economics, and most recently, a {{wp|Doctor of Philosophy}} degree from {{wp|King's College London}}, which she earned through a thesis that she wrote titled ''The British & American media compared: A case for a truly fair and nonpartisan media'' that primarily concerns the issue of media polarisation and how it affects a country's population. Later, upon her ascension to the throne, Alexandra was awarded an honorary doctorate by her alma mater whose president {{wp|Stephen Sundborg}} said, ''"Even if it was just for a while, the Queen's presence at the university was definitely a part of history that will be proudly cherished while {{wp|Seattle University}} itself will proudly remember the Queen as one of its own forever"''.
In March 2022, Alexandra was awarded her {{wp|Doctor of Philosophy}} degree from {{wp|University College London}} for a thesis that she wrote titled ''British & American Media Compared: A case for a truly fair and nonpartisan media'', a thesis paper that she wrote that largely centers around the issue of media polarisation. As the first-ever monarch in the world to have received a non-honorary {{wp|Doctor of Philosophy}} degree, the Queen's academic milestone was soon met with praises from various individuals, with {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} describing it as "a proud milestone to achieve for an undeniably brilliant and very talented young monarch". Similarly, her own mother {{wp|Christy Turlington|Queen Christy}} also expressed much positive sentiment regarding her daughter's academic achievements, stating in an interview with {{wp|Women's Health (magazine)|''Women's Health''}}, ''"From the beginning, I always encouraged my children to not necessarily follow in my footsteps as a model but rather do or work for something that they personally like be it sports, science, or anything else while at the same time, they should also learn and study just as hard as they play for at the end of the day my children aren't solely academics or athletes only but rather those who can be both when necessary"''.
Since becoming Queen, Alexandra has served as the chancellor of her {{wp|alma mater}}, the federal {{wp|University of London}}, by virtue of which she is also the chancellor of its member institutions including both the {{wp|London School of Economics}} and {{wp|King's College London}}. In addition, she is also the recipient of honorary doctorates from various educational institutions including {{wp|Yale University}}, {{wp|Columbia University}}, {{wp|Seattle University}}, {{wp|University of Toronto}}, {{wp|University of Tokyo}}, {{wp|University of Bucharest}}, {{wp|Tel Aviv University}}, {{wp|University of Amsterdam}}, {{wp|University of Luxembourg}}, {{wp|New York University}}, {{wp|Free University of Berlin}}, {{wp|Paris-Saclay University}}, and the {{wp|University of Helsinki}}. In addition, since ascending to the throne, owing to her strong academic background, Alexandra has begun awarding scholarships to a select list of one hundred academically promising students each year with the ceremony usually held at {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} along with the {{wp|Birthday Honours}}.
==Football Career==
{{Main|Football Career of Queen Alexandra}}
==Heir Apparent==
[[File:Olympics2012.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A sight of the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, which lasted from 27 July to 12 August 2012]]
Beginning in the early 2010s, a teenage Alexandra would gradually come to absorb a more prominent role as the heir to the throne, with her future duties simultaneously becoming ever more apparent since then. Soon enough, on 1 January 2011, Alexandra made her maiden public appearance alongside her family members and relatives at the wedding of her aunt [[Catherine, Princess Royal]] to {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Jodie Foster}}, the first instance of a same-sex wedding involving a member of the {{wp|British royal family}}, and which, given that same-sex marriage was only legalised in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} roughly a year later, instead took place in the {{wp|Netherlands}}, which had been the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage back in 2001. Following this, the princess subsequently made her second public appearance in the following February where she attended the funeral of her grandfather, the late [[Charles the Great|King Charles III]], with the event beginning with a sizable procession from {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} to {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} led at the front by brothers [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] and [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]] before coming to an end at the esteemed {{wp|Anglican}} church where a {{wp|21-gun salute|94-gun salute}}, the amount of which represents the years of his life, was given as a final farewell before the [[Charles the Great|late monarch]] was finally laid to rest alongside his other ancestors. Attended by various political and military figures, as well as several surviving former {{wp|United States Air Force}} servicemen who once served together with the former during the {{wp|Second World War}}, the event saw [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]] honour his deceased [[Charles the Great|father]] as "an honourable man, a loving father, and a selfless patriot" while {{wp|Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force}} {{wp|General (United States)|General}} {{wp|Norton A. Schwartz}} praised him as a "capable pilot" and a "fearless warrior of justice".
From July to August 2012, Alexandra and her family were prominently featured as honorary guests at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}} in {{wp|London}} which, particularly saw her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] personally participate in the opening gimmick alongside {{wp|British}} actor {{wp|Daniel Craig}} in which the two men parachuted out of a building and onto the stage below in a performance that was met with wide applause from many. In the meantime, Alexandra's [[William Smith|half-brother]] also gained much prominence at the event as the captain of the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team|Great Britain men's football team}} which he successfully led to victory via a 2-0 win over {{wp|Mexico}} in the finals. Nonetheless, despite their status as hosts, {{wp|Great Britain}} only managed to rack up a total of 66 medals, far behind {{wp|China}} in second place with 94 medals, and the {{wp|United States}} in first with 104 medals in total. Later that November, Alexandra also attended her [[William Smith|half-brother]]'s wedding to {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}} at {{wp|Oheka Castle}} in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, {{wp|United States}} where in the ensuing lunch feast she personally welcomed her "new beloved sister", stating, ''"Without a doubt, ever since I could read and talk, as a young little girl, I was so obsessed about a particular {{wp|American}} actress for years on end. Now, to even personally welcome the actress as my own sister-in-law absolutely feels like an impossible or far-fetched dream although it is one that I will remember for a lifetime"''. In the meantime, on 20 July 2012, roughly a week before the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}} began, Alexandra also represented her country at the enthronement of {{wp|Japan}}'s [[Akiko|Empress Akiko]], the country's first female monarch in centuries.
Upon completing her secondary level education at the {{wp|Southbank International School}}, Alexandra briefly refocused her interests in assuming her official duties as heir apparent to her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]. In this, beforehand, the princess had mostly been accompanying her parents on their many state visits abroad and was never really given an opportunity to do so herself, owing to her age and priorities, until around September 2011 when, in an apparent break from tradition, it was announced that the princess would be headlining her first-ever solo visit abroad with the country of choice being {{wp|France}}. In this, Alexandra met with {{wp|French}} {{wp|President of France|President}} {{wp|Nicolas Sarkozy}} and {{wp|List of spouses or partners of the president of France|First Lady}} {{wp|Carla Bruni}}, with whom she noticeably developed a close friendship early on owing to {{wp|Carla Bruni|Bruni}}'s close relations with her mother {{wp|Christy Turlington}} as fellow fashion models during the 1990s. In the end, her solo visit to {{wp|France}}, which spanned over the course of three days, was positively received by many including the {{wp|French}} media outlet {{wp|France 24}} which praised the royal for "carrying herself elegantly and flawlessly at such a young age" while {{wp|List of spouses or partners of the president of France|First Lady}} {{wp|Carla Bruni}} described the princess as a "lovely young girl wise beyond her years" and an "absolute joy of a girl just like her mother".
[[File:Boeing 777-2H6ER 9M-MRD Malaysian (6658105143).jpg|thumb|left|A picture of {{wp|Malaysian Airlines Flight 17}}, registered as 9M-MRD, which was fatally shot down while flying over eastern {{wp|Ukraine}} on 17 July 2014]]
The following year also saw Alexandra undertake several further official trips abroad in her own personal capacity, beginning with a visit in February to the {{wp|United States}} where she met then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Barack Obama}}, which she soon followed up on with a visit to neighbouring {{wp|Canada}} where she met then-{{wp|Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Stephen Harper}}. Then, in June of that same year, the princess went on a personal trip to {{wp|Spain}} where she attended the enthronement of {{wp|Felipe VI|King Felipe VI}} as the new {{wp|Spanish}} monarch as a guest of honour. The following July, in response to the downing of {{wp|Malaysian Airlines Flight 17}}, a commercial airliner en route to {{wp|Kuala Lumpur}}, {{wp|Malaysia}} from {{wp|Amsterdam}}, {{wp|Netherlands}} that was shot down while flying over the tumultuous area of eastern {{wp|Ukraine}} by {{wp|Russian}} forces in the area, Alexandra issued a public statement condemning those responsible for the attack, calling it an "act of utter barbarism", while also likening it to the infamous {{wp|Flight 103|1988 Lockerbie bombing}} in which a commercial airliner flying over {{wp|Lockerbie}}, {{wp|Scotland}} was destroyed mid-air by a bomb explosion placed by {{wp|Libyan}} terrorists, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}. Among the 298 total passengers onboard the {{wp|Malaysian Airlines Flight 17|downed flight}}, all of whom were killed upon impact, ten of them were identified as {{wp|British}} nationals while one hundred ninety-seven of them were otherwise identified as {{wp|Dutch}} nationals.
On 13 July 2014, Alexandra, along with members of the {{wp|British royal family|Royal Family}} together traveled to {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, where they attended in person the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup Final}} between {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Argentina}} in which {{wp|England}}, under the captaincy of her [[William Smith|half-brother]], won 4-2 on penalties to secure their third consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title, becoming the first nation to do so, while also equalising {{wp|Brazil}}'s record of four {{wp|World Cup}} titles during which {{wp|England}} captain [[William Smith]] himself notably broke the record of three {{wp|World Cup}} titles for an individual player held by the {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}}. Meanwhile, in a close affair, the {{wp|Netherlands}} narrowly defeated {{wp|Germany}} 3-2 to clinch a third-place finish in the ensuing playoff match following their previous defeat to runners-up {{wp|Argentina}}, making it just the second time that they have finished third since participating for the first time in the {{wp|1938 FIFA World Cup}} where they also finished third by defeating {{wp|Sweden}} 3-0 before later winning it in {{wp|1974 FIFA World Cup}} by defeating hosts {{wp|West Germany}} 5-4 on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
[[File:Maracanã 2014 g.jpg|thumb|right|The {{wp|Maracanã Stadium}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, where the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup Final}} between {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Argentina}} took place. It was famously called the "Falklands Derby" in reference to the 1982 {{wp|Falklands War}} involving the two nations]]
On 30 September 2016, in what was then her first-ever instance of setting foot in {{wp|Israel}}, Alexandra, along with a host of other international dignitaries, attended the state funeral of former {{wp|President of Israel|President}} {{wp|Shimon Peres}} that was held at the {{wp|Mount Herzl}} national cemetery site. {{wp|Shimon Peres|Peres}}, whose relation to the princess via him being a cousin of the late {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} made him a well-regarded albeit a distant member of the {{wp|British royal family}}, was eulogised by Alexandra who in her statement praised the late {{wp|Israeli}} politician as a "humble, yet effective and visionary leader who never stopped seeking for eternal peace, even if such a goal seemed impossible or far-fetched at times". Similarly, Alexandra's father [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] also expressed much praise for the late {{wp|Shimon Peres|Peres}}, stating, ''"In a rather troubled and complicated region such as the {{wp|Middle East}}, {{wp|Shimon Peres}} is undoubtedly one of its most talented, promising, and visionary leaders ever"''. 
From early-to-mid-2017, following a series of terrorist attacks that targeted the {{wp|2017 Westminster attack|Palace of Westminster}}, {{wp|Manchester Arena bombing|Manchester Arena}}, and the {{wp|2017 London Bridge attack|London Bridge}}, Alexandra published a statement expressing her condolences and condemning the violent acts, stating, ''"As the nation grieves for the unfortunate loss of its people to these heinous acts of terror, questions will arise over the safety and well-being of the people as a whole. Regarding this, I have full trust in the government and the relevant authorities to ensure that necessary measures are taken to ensure that such violent episodes will never come up again"''. Like her predecessors, together with her parents, Alexandra personally visited the sites where the incidents had taken place during which she and her family wore black clothing as a sign of respect for the deceased. In one interview, Alexandra later described seeing the aftermath of said incidents as having reminded her of the infamous {{wp|7/7|2005 London bombings}} in which {{wp|Islamist}} terrorists bombed {{wp|London}}'s public transport system during morning rush hour, stating, ''"It is never a good thing to hear or to even see what a bunch of violent people intend to do to your own country, a place where you were born, raised, and live in for your entire life. Of course, the {{wp|7/7|London bombings}} are now about a decade ago but to be reminded of it, even in the slightest, definitely stings and hurts me a lot in an emotional sense"''.
===Death of Queen Dowager Lauren===
[[File:Lauren Bacall 2007.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The Queen's grandmother {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} pictured at the press conference for the 2007 film ''{{wp|The Walker}}'']]
On 12 August 2014, while in her first year of university in the {{wp|United States}}, Alexandra was met with a personal tragedy when her elderly grandmother and former actress {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} passed away at the age of eighty-nine. Her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|grandmother}}'s death, which had occurred in the presence of her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}, soon forced a distraught Alexandra to abruptly halt her studies for some time, having found it difficult to continue her studies further at the time. Consequently, both the princess and her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}, who had been accompanying her all the while, soon together flew back for the {{wp|United Kingdom}} via the royal family's private plane with the late {{wp|Lauren Bacall|queen dowager}}'s coffin in tow. The following days were then filled with extensive preparations as well as rehearsals for the late queen dowager's funeral, which eventually took place on 23 August 2014, with the ceremony, in contrast to the more elaborate and extensive one held for the late [[Charles the Great|King Charles III]], ultimately being a more relatively simple and brief one instead, a change in tone that was reportedly requested by the late {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} herself before her passing, in which she, according to her eldest son [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]], "wanted a simple funeral away from the spotlight" despite initial suggestions that she should be awarded an equally elaborate and grand funeral like her [[Charles the Great|late husband]]'s given their lasting legacy on {{wp|British}} society. Lasting for no more than thirty minutes long, the funeral saw the {{wp|British}} royals depart {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} for {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} at 9:00 p.m. in a fleet of black sedans with the late {{wp|Lauren Bacall|queen dowager}}'s coffin in tow and which was then subsequently laid to rest next to that of her [[Charles the Great|late husband]]'s, with the royals then paying their last respects to the family's "former patriarch and matriarch" before subsequently departing back for {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, hence concluding the funeral. Since then, it has been said to be a family tradition whereby each year on the date of the late couple's marriage, namely the 15th of March, the royals would together come at {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} at exactly 9:00 p.m. to mark the late couple's passing as well as to "properly reflect on the days since the departure of two beloved and honourable individuals that came to mark and define the family in the modern and ever-changing world".
Meanwhile, the following days, as later described by Alexandra herself, proved to be "much more difficult" for the former who was said to have often spent much of her time alone in the bedroom while also maintaining a largely silent and cold demeanour, a stark contrast to her normally carefree and talkative character. Around that same time, amidst concerns over her mental health, Alexandra was then prescribed by doctors a bottle of anti-depressant pills for her own personal consumption. However, on 12 September, an abrupt decision to consume her pills at an amount slightly higher than that recommended to her by doctors threw the princess into a comatose state, which was quickly noticed by her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} who soon afterward had her daughter treated to by palace doctors. Soon enough, possibilities surrounding the princess's state of survival and current health promptly led to staffers at the {{wp|BBC}} and other {{wp|British}} media outlets to don black outfits, as per the traditional customs, a decision that immediately proved to be a source for great concern and curiosity among the {{wp|British}} public who in the hours that followed began descending on the gates of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, while major news outlets, including the likes of the {{wp|BBC}} and {{wp|Sky News}} began reporting on the situation almost immediately, with the {{wp|BBC}} then stating that the princess was facing a "serious illness" without providing any further details, a decision most likely influenced by the royal family's choice to keep any major knowledge regarding the princess's wellbeing a closely guarded secret and away from the public. Throughout the next four days or so, as crowds continued to fill the area outside of the palace gates, {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} itself otherwise remained largely silent on the princess's condition, but not before later issuing a statement at 9:30 a.m. on 16 September that the princess was "making a promising recovery from her aforementioned illness", which was later confirmed roughly two days later when Alexandra herself publicly appeared on the balcony of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} for the first time since recovering from her coma, to which the crowd below shouted "God Save the Princess!", followed by a roar of applause and waves of clapping.
In the days following her recovery from her coma, under the recommendation of her doctors, Alexandra was to be kept mostly at home with the exception of important matters as well as being strictly monitored by her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} given that she is who Alexandra herself felt most close to and coupled with the fact that {{wp|Christy Turlington|Queen Christy}} herself had beforehand acted as her daughter's main source of support following the latter's {{wp|Lauren Bacall|grandmother}}'s departure providing much-needed physical and emotional support. Eventually, after around a month or so, once it was deemed that the princess had now possessed a stable state of mind and was not at any risk of relapsing, Alexandra, based on her own request, then went along with her mother on a month-long private trip to {{wp|Hawaii}} where the mother and daughter pair proceeded to spend the following month under much secrecy which meant that when interacting with the general public, the pair often assumed fake aliases so as to conceal their true identities while also avoiding places that were said to have been frequented by high-profile individuals all in order to attract the least amount of attention possible. In a later interview, she said, ''"Without a doubt, everything about the vacation was 100% perfection, with it being just me and my mother relaxing at the beach with no one else interrupting, and just the two of us hiking through the beautiful {{wp|Hawaiian}} rainforest"'', adding that at one point the mother-daughter duo reportedly camped for three days long in the {{wp|Hawaiian}} jungle during which the two, according to Alexandra herself, "cooked delicious fishes, crossed mighty rivers, and saw beautiful waterfalls". In the meantime, the two also met with {{wp|Hawaii}} {{wp|Governor of Hawaii|Governor}} {{wp|David Ige}}, who subsequently described the two as a "very kind and unassuming pair", adding, ''"From the moment I first met them, they definitely looked less like royals and more like two wonderful people very eager to enjoy all the things {{wp|Hawaii}} could offer"''.
By the following year, having initially put her university studies on indefinite hold following her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|grandmother}}'s death, Alexandra decided to finally return back to committing herself once more to her academic studies. However, in doing so, she chose not to return to her {{wp|Seattle University|old university}}, instead opting to study at a local university in {{wp|England}}, that being the {{wp|University of London}}, a choice she later attributed to geographical reasons as well as her personal need to be "close to home", thus avoiding potential homesickness, and given that the university itself is only two miles away from {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, also made communications between herself and her family much easier in general. In addition, having also decided to take up professional football once again, the relevant training centers for both {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} and the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}} also happened to be within the university's proximity, thereby also making the princess's football duties less of an overall burden as she also decided to simultaneously resume her football career which she had then also put on hold following her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|grandmother}}'s death.
[[File:Zeinab Badawi 02.jpg|200px|thumb|left|{{wp|Zeinab Badawi}}, a {{wp|Sudanese}}-{{wp|British}} journalist working for the {{wp|BBC}}. In October 2023, she interviewed Queen Alexandra for a special segment concerning {{wp|World Mental Health Day}}]]
On 10 October 2023, a date commonly known to be for {{wp|World Mental Health Day}}, for the first time, Alexandra publicly disclosed that her previously vague "serious illness" was actually her being in a comatose state that resulted from a near-fatal overdose on drugs which she had consumed beyond the recommended limit. Explaining further, Alexandra went on to describe the period, which immediately followed the passing of her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|paternal grandmother}} in August 2014, as the "darkest period of my life to date", adding, ''"In a sense, it wasn't really 100% the case but at the time, I just felt extremely lost, lonely, and as if I had lost one of my bodily senses. I just didn't really have the energy or usual enthusiasm to do the things that I normally do because, at the time, they all just felt so dull and meaningless to me. From my own perspective back then, someone that I loved so much just left for good so what's the point of doing this stuff anymore?"''. Regardless, Alexandra has credited her "superhero mother" and "truly caring family" for helping her out of the situation and for "giving me a very solid, even if a rather generic reason to continue living and not end my life so abruptly just like how I almost did". The revelation, made during a special interview with the {{wp|BBC}}, was widely received by the public while mental health experts praised the Queen for her "frankness in revealing an undeniably dark but consequential episode of her life". Similarly, {{wp|British}} journalist {{wp|Zeinab Badawi}}, who conducted the interview herself, said, ''"Admittedly, given who she is, some people are always going to take this whole thing with a little grain of salt but for me, as a commoner, it was not that hard to swiftly understand what she was going through during that dark time. Rich or poor, anyone losing a beloved relative of theirs is always going to have a hard time dealing with it and I commend her for willingly telling her experience as it is with the noble purpose of emphasising just how obviously important mental health is to an individual, especially with all the stuff that has been happening recently"''. In addition, {{wp|Zeinab Badawi|Badawi}} also revealed that upon the Queen's own request, almost little to none of the interview was edited out including moments of her briefly pausing between sentences and occasionally sobbing a little, stating that she "really wanted the things that she said to be raw and hard-hitting and for the whole interview to be as honest and open as possible with little editing involved". Meanwhile, on her part, Alexandra said, ''"Aside from the fact that it would be on a day meant worldwide for mental health, I just personally felt that after some time keeping secret the real reason that made me ill back then I have to eventually come clean and let the public know the unfiltered truth where, as a princess and a future queen of the country, I once took drugs in an amount that was far too dangerous and that I almost died in doing so. In the end, I'm a human and all humans have emotions"''.
===Investiture of the Princess of the Welsh===
Following her creation as {{wp|Prince of Wales|Princess of the Welsh}} through letters patent issued by her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]], prospects of an investiture ceremony as the new {{wp|Prince of Wales|Princess of the Welsh}} quickly gained traction, while also receiving much support from the former [[Charles the Great|King Charles III]], Alexandra's own grandfather. Moreover, such prospects were also looked upon favourably by a number of {{wp|Welsh}}-born politicians including then-{{wp|Secretary of State for Wales}} {{wp|Ron Davies (Welsh politician)|Ron Davies}} who argued that having such a ceremony for the title's first female holder would be a "great step forward for the cause of gender equality in {{wp|Wales}} and the whole of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}". However, despite its potential social implications, proposals for another investiture were not without criticism, with {{wp|Welsh}} nationalists being fundamentally opposed to the continuation of the title's use for the heir apparent to the {{wp|British}} throne. Nonetheless, in February 2002, proposals for an investiture ceremony in the future were confirmed with an announcement by {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, which declared that the investiture ceremony would "proceed as planned" and that it would take place sometime after the princess had reached the age of twenty. To that end, in the months leading up to the investiture ceremony, a then-twenty-year-old Alexandra was sent on a brief tour of {{wp|Wales}} itself during which she also undertook language lessons in the {{wp|Welsh}} language so as to better prepare the princess who was expected to deliver her speech in {{wp|Welsh}} at some point during the ceremony.
Eventually, on 5 June 2016, her investiture ceremony was held at the historic {{wp|Welsh}} medieval fortress of {{wp|Caernarfon Castle}} which had previously served as the very site where the investiture ceremony for her predecessors took place before. Then, in the closing hours of the event, Alexandra read aloud her speech, first in {{wp|English}}, followed by a second one in {{wp|Welsh}}, with her fluency in the language being a subject of much praise by observers who noted the princess's "flawless delivery in the {{wp|Welsh}} language". Meanwhile, the event itself was noted for reportedly being one of the most viewed events that year with an estimated viewership amount of up to 29.5 million people, including both {{wp|UK}} citizens and non-{{wp|UK}} citizens, although this was later surpassed by her own August 2019 coronation, which otherwise reported an estimated total amount of viewership at 32 million.
===2016 EU referendum & "June riots"===
[[File:Robert Habeck at Washington D.C..jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|Mark Heffelfinger}}, who served as [[Minister-President of Hanover]] from 2007 to 2021 and who was a vocal figure of the Remain campaign advocating for the continued membership of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} in the {{wp|European Union}}]]
On 23 June 2016, hoping to quell the nationwide debate over the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s future in the {{wp|European Union}}, {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}}'s government held a nationwide {{wp|2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum}}, the results of which, although legally non-binding, was expected to be implemented by the {{wp|British}} government. In the end, the referendum resulted in a clear victory for the Remain vote at 57.6% to the Leave vote's 42.4%, thereby guaranteeing the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s continued membership in the {{wp|European Union}}. Consequently, over the next few days, a series of rallies organised by prominent figures of the Leave campaign, namely {{wp|Nigel Farage}} and {{wp|Michael Gove}}, quickly sprang up across {{wp|England}} and which were particularly concentrated in the {{wp|East Midlands}} region which had registered the highest percentage of Leave votes in the referendum. According to the {{wp|BBC}}, along with several other media outlets, a "sizable majority" of the rallies were reported to be "very emotionally charged" along with containing "strong elements of overt xenophobia and anti-immigrant racism". In this, numerous figures of the Leave campaign were mostly seen bemoaning the campaign's dramatic loss at the polls which they particularly attributed to the strongly pro-Remain constituent country of {{wp|Lower Saxony|Hanover}} where its roughly three million voters, most of whom are in favour of remaining in the {{wp|European Union}}, helped ensure a decisive victory for the Leave campaign despite {{wp|England}}, the most populous constituent country, recording a majority in favour of a withdrawal. In the meantime, amidst growing tensions, isolated incidents of violence, which later came to form the "June riots", began occurring across the {{wp|United Kingdom}} with {{wp|England}} being where most of the incidents were recorded. In the end, a {{wp|BBC}} investigation reported that around thirty-eight people were killed whereas eighty-three more were injured and a further one hundred and thirty-two were arrested by police during the violence.
In response, both [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] and {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} condemned the violence that unfolded, with the latter expressing "much sadness and despair at the fact that a simple referendum could lead to such ugly incidents of violence" while the monarch expressed his "utter disbelief at the level of chaos that followed a simple and normal democratic procedure". Similarly, {{wp|Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition}} {{wp|Jeremy Corbyn}} condemned the "irrational and unnecessary violence that unfolded" while [[Minister-President of Hanover]] {{wp|Mark Heffelfinger}}, referencing the particular criticism directed towards voters in [[Hanover]] by the Leave campaign's leaders, both condemned the riots and also called out the likes of {{wp|Boris Johnson}}, {{wp|Michael Gove}}, and {{wp|Nigel Farage}} for "shameless anti-{{wp|German}} racism", stating, ''"It is absolutely reprehensible and utterly bizarre that as the legitimate citizens of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} in [[Hanover]] voted for their desired outcome, a certain group of people, when ultimately dealt with a loss, could not somehow bring themselves to accept the final results and instead resorted to shameless targeting and singling out an entire group of people for having exercised free will in a democratic country"''. Consequently, under the demand of {{wp|Mark Heffelfinger|Heffelfinger}}, whose party threatened to withdraw and leave the {{wp|Conservative Party (United Kingdom)|Conservatives}} governing alone in the minority, both {{wp|Boris Johnson|Johnson}} and {{wp|Michael Gove|Gove}} were subsequently expelled from the party by {{wp|David Cameron}} given their prominent roles and outspokenness as well-known figures for the Leave campaign. Meanwhile, with his much-publicised plan for the {{wp|United Kingdom}} to leave the {{wp|European Union}} effectively thwarted, by the following year, {{wp|Nigel Farage|Farage}} subsequently resigned from the party leadership and in turn shifted his political activities over to the {{wp|United States}} which had then elected fellow anti-{{wp|European Union|EU}} politician and real estate mogul {{wp|Donald Trump}} as president.
===Abdication of King Thomas===
{{Quote box
|quote  = "Looking back, it all did happen so fast for me at a pace that I find it hard to keep up with. Frankly, it took me a while to understand and get to use but after a while, I finally felt that my [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s stroke and abdication wasn't necessarily something random or by accident but that it actually meant something to me with the clear message being that my time is now to shine and to take the responsibility that I've waited so long for".
|author = Alexandra reflecting on her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s abdication
|source =
|width  = 50%
|align  = right
}}
In the last few years leading up to the end of her father's reign, the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] himself had largely shown little signs of ailing health. This, coupled with the fact that the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] himself is a keen sportsman, particularly in sports such as tennis and polo, initially made a sudden abdication from the throne rather unlikely. Despite this, on precisely 6 October 2017, at 3:30 p.m., shortly after returning to his bedroom, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] suddenly collapsed from an apparent heart attack. His fall, which was immediately noticed by his {{wp|Christy Turlington|wife}}, was quickly dealt with as the royal was promptly rushed to a nearby medical room within {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} itself where for the next few days or so doctors patiently operated on the incapacitated monarch. In the meantime, despite news of the monarch's health and condition being strictly limited to among palace staff and the royal family itself, newscasters at the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s major broadcasters, namely the {{wp|BBC}} and {{wp|ITV (TV network)|ITV}}, were nonetheless ordered to wear black outfits in the event of the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]]'s possible death. Around that same time, as news of the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]]'s health, even if somewhat limited in information, began to spread to the public, droves of {{wp|British}} citizens begin to gradually assemble just outside of the gates of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} where for at least two days or so the crowd patiently waited for any further updates concerning the monarch's health.
Eventually, on 8 October 2017, {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} announced that the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] had "fully recovered from a minor injury sustained a few days ago", thereby quickly disseminating rumours of the monarch's death, while the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] himself later thanked members of the public for their "touching show of support and love during my most critical days". In the days that followed, as questions began to rise over whether the now sixty-year-old [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]] could continue to reign as usual for the foreseeable future, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] himself subsequently suggested abdicating the throne in favour of his daughter and heir during which he reportedly described the stroke that he had recently suffered as a "personal calling" for him to abdicate the throne. Then, amidst concerns that a sudden abdication would consequently disrupt the princess's university studies, it was soon agreed that for the next two years, the princess's mother {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, being the current queen consort herself and now the queen dowager, would therefore serve as a temporary regent on her daughter's behalf until the end of the said two-year period at which point she would formally assume her duties as head of state.
Following that, with the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King]]'s abdication from the throne expected to take place in the next few days, the agreement was subsequently relayed to Alexandra herself by {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} who then contacted the princess's university in order to personally relay the news to the new monarch. Later, according to {{wp|David Cameron|Cameron}} himself, the princess was "understandably shocked in the beginning, for quite a good reason, but eventually calmed down, composed herself, and accepted that her time as the new monarch has begun". Otherwise, Alexandra herself later candidly recounted "feeling sleepless for the next few days", stating, ''"Obviously, I know well enough that one day my [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] will depart and I will immediately become the new monarch but I never expected it to be so quick even if my father actually abdicated rather than dying outright"''.
==Reign==
===Ascension===
On 13 October 2017, at precisely 12:00 p.m., the abdication of [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] finally came into effect, with {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} being the first to announce the monarch's resignation, followed by the {{wp|Royal Palace of Amsterdam}} and the {{wp|Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg|Grand Ducal Palace}}. Soon afterward, having chosen her own given name for her regnal name as the new monarch, she was promptly proclaimed "Queen Alexandra" in both the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and the {{wp|Netherlands}} while in {{wp|Luxembourg}}, she was fittingly proclaimed "Grand Duchess Alexandra" due to the country's historic nature of being a grand duchy as opposed to a kingdom. Then, just an hour later, in the form of a televised speech broadcasted by the {{wp|BBC}} and other media outlets, the Queen declared her intention to "serve my country to the very best of my ability", adding that "while my role would mostly be as a conventional figurehead for the nation, I could never ignore the real-world challenges ahead, challenges that I will bravely face and overcome". Following this, as per tradition, a {{wp|21-gun salute}} was observed in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} to mark her accession to the throne, with a similar gesture also being simultaneously observed in the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}} respectively. Meanwhile, in line with her ascension to the throne, Alexandra also officially became the new president of the [[Hanoverian Union]], an organisation comprising the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, {{wp|Netherlands}}, and {{wp|Luxembourg}}, all three countries of which she is the head of state.
At the time of her ascension to the throne, Alexandra effectively became just one of three queen regnants in the world alongside her distant relative, namely {{wp|Denmark}}'s {{wp|Margrethe II|Queen Margrethe II}}, and {{wp|Japan}}'s [[Akiko|Empress Akiko]]. Then, just two months later, {{wp|Romania}}'s {{wp|Michael I of Romania|King Michael}} passed away, leaving his eldest child and heir to ascend the throne as {{wp|Margareta of Romania|Queen Margareta}}, thereby making it four queen regnants in the world currently on the throne. Regardless, as the youngest monarch at the time, Alexandra's ascension was met with considerable attention with {{wp|Chancellor of Germany}} {{wp|Angela Merkel}} describing the royal as a "bright, young woman" while {{wp|Prime Minister of New Zealand}} {{wp|Jacinda Ardern}}, who took office just a couple of weeks later, expressed her hope of working together with the Queen on relevant issues.
In the days following her ascension to the throne, rumours allegedly spread by republican and anti-monarchist groups began claiming that the Queen's ascension was not legitimate, with the claims said to be disputing Alexandra's legitimacy via an old statement made by her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} in which the latter, while still in a relationship with her then-boyfriend, the actor {{wp|Roger Wilson (actor)|Roger Wilson}}, claimed that the two were married but only in a religious sense and not a legal one. In response, {{wp|Roger Wilson (actor)|Wilson}}, who dated the {{wp|American}} supermodel prior to the latter's marriage, confronted such rumours, explaining that in a legal sense the two were never officially married to each other and the fact that they had broken up roughly two years before {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself later married her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|husband]] meant that they had "called it quits for a while already". In the meantime, after an initial silence, {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself also addressed the rumours, stating, ''"Frankly, these unsubstantiated rumours are ridiculous and at worst insulting to me and my family. Yes, I did say such words before when I was with {{wp|Roger Wilson (actor)|him}} (Wilson) but of course, we later broke up, and around two years later, I met and wedded the [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|man]] who I've proudly called my husband for over twenty-four years now and to whom I am truly and well married for life"''. Meanwhile, Alexandra, the target of such rumours herself, was said to have initially considered pursuing legal action on the basis of defamation but eventually decided against it for unknown reasons with one source claiming that the Queen "refused to validate such baseless rumours any further".
[[File:Iglesia Nueva, Ámsterdam, Países Bajos, 2016-05-30, DD 10-12 HDR.jpg|thumb|right|The {{wp|Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam|Nieuwe Kerk}} in {{wp|Amsterdam}}, {{wp|Netherlands}}, where the Queen was inaugurated as the new {{wp|Dutch}} monarch. As per royal tradition, the inauguration is usually held on the 1st of January of the year after the monarch has ascended to the throne]]
On 1 January 2018, as per longstanding {{wp|Dutch}} royal tradition whereby the new monarch is inaugurated on the first day of the following year, at exactly 7:30 a.m., the Queen, accompanied by the {{wp|Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force}} {{wp|Lieutenant General}} {{wp|Dennis Luyt}}, departed for the {{wp|Netherlands}}' {{wp|Leeuwarden Air Base}} from the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s {{wp|RAF Kenley}} onboard the {{wp|Royal Netherlands Air Force|RNLAF}}'s {{wp|Gulfstream G650}}. Then, upon arriving at 8:13 a.m., she was received by {{wp|Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Mark Rutte}} and subsequently driven in an orange {{wp|Bentley Continental GT}} to the {{wp|Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam|Nieuwe Kerk}} church in {{wp|Amsterdam}} with the royal convoy driving over the {{wp|A7 motorway (Netherlands)|A7 motorway}} before eventually arriving in {{wp|Amsterdam}} itself. Upon arriving, the Queen was then escorted into the {{wp|Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam|Nieuwe Kerk}} where she was then paid homage by members of the {{wp|States General of the Netherlands|States General}} after taking her customary oath as the new {{wp|Dutch}} monarch. Meanwhile, for reasons of simplicity, Alexandra's simultaneous inauguration as the monarch of {{wp|Luxembourg}}, an occasion that followed a roughly similar process, was also done at {{wp|Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam|Nieuwe Kerk}} and which followed shortly afterward with those in attendance including {{wp|Prime Minister of Luxembourg|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Xavier Bettel}} and members of the {{wp|Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg)|Chamber of Deputies}} who similarly paid their homage to the Grand Duchess after she took her oath as the new {{wp|Luxembourgish}} monarch. Then, on the following day, Alexandra's swearing-in ceremony as the new [[Hanoverian Union]] president took place in which she made a three-hour trip to the {{wp|Royal Palace of Brussels}} from her official residence of {{wp|Royal Palace of Amsterdam}} where upon arriving she was afterward sworn in as the new president in the presence of the [[Chairman of the Hanoverian Union|chairman]], [[Deputy Chairman of the Hanoverian Union|deputy chairman]], and the [[Secretary-General of the Hanoverian Union|secretary-general]].
===Public Image===
{{Main|Public Image of Queen Alexandra}}
===Regency===
Throughout the following year, despite effectively being Queen herself already as a result of her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s abdication, Alexandra, through an agreement struck between her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] and the {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} governments respectively, was nonetheless allowed to further pursue both her education and her football career with her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} otherwise serving as a temporary regent for the time being. Eventually, in the later months of 2018, Alexandra went on to graduate once more from the {{wp|London School of Economics}}, this time with a master's degree in economics, thus making her the only {{wp|British}} royal so far with such an academic degree given that both her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] and her closest relatives have so far only graduated with a bachelor's degree in their own respective rights. Later on, when questioned on why she opted to continue furthering her studies well after her ascension to the throne, she said, ''"When I look back and realise that my own mother never gave up on her university studies even after just having gone through the undeniably painful experience of giving birth to her very first child, I felt somewhat ashamed as both her daughter and as a woman myself at the thought of just not trying to keep going on when there's some extra load being unloaded on my shoulders. Simply put, if my mother can do it, then so can I too"''.
[[File:Commonwealth Foreign Ministers - 2018 (26673968607).jpg|thumb|200px|left|A group photo of foreign ministers in attendance at the {{wp|2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting}} which lasted from 19 to 20 April 2018 and was held in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}]]
Even so, despite the preoccupation with her academic and sporting needs, throughout much of the year, Alexandra was nevertheless able to achieve a number of significant feats for herself as the new monarch, beginning with a speech that she gave on 8 January 2018 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the {{wp|Fourteen Points}} speech made by {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Woodrow Wilson}} following the {{wp|First World War}} in which she remarked, ''"For exactly a hundred years since the late {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Woodrow Wilson|Wilson}} made it known to the whole world the necessity and importance of self-determination, freedom, and democracy, the important struggle in achieving such ideas has never ceased to end and yet, against all odds, activists and believers in such ideas have never stopped fighting for what they believe in and want to see implemented for the sake of not just themselves but for a better future for everyone"''. Later that May, she was also said to have subtly criticised the {{wp|American}} government's decision to withdraw from the {{wp|Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}} agreement, having emphasised the "importance of constructive dialogues over aggressive armed confrontations" in a speech she gave just a day after the decision was made. However, despite her perceived criticism of the {{wp|United States}}, on 30 November that year, Alexandra, along with her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]], attended the state funeral of former {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|George H. W. Bush}} with then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Donald Trump}} and former {{wp|US}} presidents {{wp|Jimmy Carter}}, {{wp|George W. Bush}}, {{wp|Bill Clinton}}, and {{wp|Barack Obama}} also in attendance alongside other foreign leaders. Meanwhile, the Queen herself also personally hosted the {{wp|Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting}} that was held domestically in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|England}} while also spending some time abroad attending the {{wp|G8}} summit in {{wp|Quebec}}, {{wp|Canada}} and the {{wp|NATO}} summit in {{wp|City of Brussels|Brussels}}, {{wp|Netherlands}} where she met {{wp|Secretary General of NATO|Secretary General}} {{wp|Jens Stoltenberg}} for the first time.
[[File:LuzhnikiStadium.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Luzhniki Stadium}} in {{wp|Moscow}}, {{wp|Russia}}, where the {{wp|2018 FIFA World Cup Final}} was held between {{wp|England}} and {{wp|France}}]]
Moreover, in that same year, she also presided over the opening ceremony of the {{wp|2018 Commonwealth Games}}, which was held in {{wp|Queensland}}, {{wp|Australia}} between 4 and 15 April 2018, the first sports event she presided over as the {{wp|British}} monarch. Meanwhile, on 15 July 2018, at the {{wp|2018 FIFA World Cup Final}} in {{wp|Russia}}, defending champions {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|France}} 5-4 on penalties in a dramatic and tense affair in which a botched attempt by {{wp|Bayern Munich}} winger {{wp|Franck Ribéry}} was capitalised upon by {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} fullback {{wp|Kieran Trippier}}, the fifth {{wp|England}} penalty taker, who scored the winning penalty past goalkeeper and club teammate {{wp|Hugo Lloris}} to mark an unprecedented fourth consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title for {{wp|England}} and which is also their first under new manager {{wp|Gareth Southgate}} who later led the country to a fifth consecutive title at the {{wp|2022 FIFA World Cup|2022}} edition in {{wp|Qatar}}, making it roughly sixteen years unbeaten for {{wp|England}} since 2006. In light of this, as per tradition, Alexandra later treated {{wp|Gareth Southgate|Southgate}} and the {{wp|England}} players to a celebratory dinner at {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} where the latter became only the second {{wp|England}} manager after the late {{wp|Alf Ramsey}} to be knighted for their successes while {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}, who also announced his retirement shortly afterward, notably joined former teammate and compatriot [[William Smith]] in being one of only two players with four {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} titles. On the other hand, {{wp|Brazil}}, having been denied an appearance in the finals by a narrow 0-1 loss to eventual runners-up {{wp|France}}, instead settled for third place by defeating {{wp|Croatia}} 2-0 in the third-place playoffs where an initial {{wp|Neymar}} penalty, aided by a second-half goal from {{wp|Willian (footballer, born 1988)|Willian}}, saw them avenge their initial loss with a dominant win over the {{wp|Croatians}} who were previously denied a maiden appearance in the finals by a 1-2 loss to {{wp|England}}.
On 8 October 2018, Alexandra was among the several high-profile guests who attended the second wedding of {{wp|Hungary}}'s {{wp|Karl von Habsburg|King Charles V}}. Held at the royal residence of {{wp|Buda Castle}} in the capital city of {{wp|Budapest}}, the occasion saw the {{wp|Hungarian}} monarch, who divorced his {{wp|Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza|first wife}} the previous year, remarry to {{wp|Hungarian}} {{wp|Victoria's Secret}} model {{wp|Barbara Palvin}}. In this, the wedding, aside from making the latter the first native-born {{wp|Hungarian}} queen consort in centuries, also sparked much controversy given that {{wp|Barbara Palvin|Palvin}} is thirty-two years her {{wp|Karl von Habsburg|husband}}'s junior and is therefore also rather close in age to the latter's eldest child and heir {{wp|Eleonore von Habsburg|Crown Princess Eleonore}}. Regardless, other {{wp|Victoria's Secret}} models have also gone on to marry into royalty including the {{wp|Portuguese}}-born {{wp|Sara Sampaio}} who in May 2020 wedded {{wp|Afonso, Prince of Beira}}, son of {{wp|Portugal}}'s {{wp|Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza|King Edward III}}, and the {{wp|South African}}-born {{wp|Candice Swanepoel}} who in October 2018 became one of the several wives of {{wp|Eswatini}}'s {{wp|Mswati III|King Mswati III}}.
===Coronation===
{{Main|Coronation of Queen Alexandra}}
===Early Years===
Beginning in August, Alexandra started conducting her first few state visits since her coronation with the first country of choice being {{wp|Japan}} where she met [[Akiko|Empress Akiko]] and also visited the factories of renowned {{wp|Japanese}} automobile manufacturers including {{wp|Toyota}}, {{wp|Subaru}}, and {{wp|Nissan}}. Following this, she also visited {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}, where she was hosted by {{wp|President of South Korea|President}} {{wp|Moon Jae-in}} and later even personally met with some of the country's most well-known artists including the pop groups {{wp|BTS}} and {{wp|Blackpink}}. In that same month, she also visited the {{wp|Southeast Asian}} nations of {{wp|Malaysia}}, {{wp|Singapore}}, and {{wp|Indonesia}} during which she survived an assassination attempt in the {{wp|Malaysian}} capital of {{wp|Kuala Lumpur}}, addressed the thriving {{wp|LGBT}} community in {{wp|Singapore}}, and personally apologised for past {{wp|Dutch}} atrocities committed against {{wp|Indonesians}}. Then, in the following September, the Queen also met with {{wp|Vatican City}}'s {{wp|Pope Francis}} at the {{wp|Domus Sanctae Marthae}}, becoming the third successive {{wp|British}} monarch to meet with the {{wp|Roman Catholic}} leadership after her [[Charles the Great|late grandfather]] first did so in a historic meeting with the late {{wp|Pope Pius XII}} while her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] met the former {{wp|Pope Benedict XVI}}, the predecessor of {{wp|Pope Francis}}. Aside from this, in a personal gesture towards her {{wp|Lauren Bacall|late grandmother}}, Alexandra also held a state visit to {{wp|Romania}}, from which the late {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}'s parents originated, where she met with {{wp|Margareta of Romania|Queen Margareta}} and the country's {{wp|Jewish}} community. In this, she also met with neighbouring {{wp|Bulgaria}}'s {{wp|Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Tsar Simeon II}}, the world's currently longest-reigning monarch, having taken the throne in 1943 in the middle of the {{wp|Second World War}} and is therefore the only serving head of state from as far back as the war itself.
[[File:Mt. Kilimanjaro 12.2006.JPG|thumb|right|A view of {{wp|Mount Kilimanjaro}} in {{wp|Kilimanjaro Region}}, {{wp|Tanzania}}, the highest mountain in {{wp|Africa}} at a height of 5,895 metres above sea level]]
Aside from that, Alexandra has also held a number of state visits to {{wp|Africa}} as well, with the first instance being a state visit to {{wp|South Africa}} in March 2018, just a month after {{wp|President of South Africa|President}} {{wp|Cyril Ramaphosa}} took office following the resignation of his controversial predecessor {{wp|Jacob Zuma}}. Describing {{wp|Cyril Ramaphosa|Ramaphosa}} as a "visionary leader in the spirit of {{wp|Nelson Mandela}}", the two leaders subsequently toured the country's major cities and also visited the {{wp|Kruger National Park}} which the Queen herself once visited as a child beforehand during which she also met the late {{wp|Nelson Mandela}}, a hugely popular {{wp|South African}} political figure who she later described as a "kind old grandfather undoubtedly determined to transform a nation". Then, in June, she paid a state visit to {{wp|Tanzania}} for which she received considerable attention from both the {{wp|Tanzanian}} and international media for successfully climbing the famous {{wp|Mount Kilimanjaro}}, a feat that she later described as a "dream come true", adding, ''"Just by its sheer height and beauty, I always felt fascinated by it since the first time I laid eyes on it. Obviously, {{wp|Mount Everest|Everest}} is too dangerous for even an adult me to climb so at the very least, {{wp|Mount Kilimanjaro|Kilimanjaro}} is the best option that I got and it's something that I'll undoubtedly enjoy a lot when I finally finish climbing it"''.
On 25 October 2019, controversy arose when it was announced that the Queen would be visiting the {{wp|Caribbean}} island nation of {{wp|Cuba}} where she then met with {{wp|President of Cuba|President}} {{wp|Miguel Díaz-Canel}} as well as {{wp|Raul Castro}}, former leader of {{wp|Cuba}} and the surviving younger brother of the late {{wp|Cuban}} revolutionary {{wp|Fidel Castro}}. Almost immediately, among some sectors of the international community, the meetings between the Queen and the two men sparked some considerable backlash, with some even perceiving it as an "endorsement" of the authoritarian {{wp|Cuban}} regime. However, in her farewell address to the {{wp|Cuba|country}}, the Queen publicly expressed her wish that the "unnecessary burden imposed upon the {{wp|Cuban}} people would be lifted in good conscience by the {{wp|United States}} government” while also publicly expressing her hope for a "beneficial and fruitful dialogue between the governments of {{wp|Cuba}} and the {{wp|United States}} concerning important matters such as democracy and trade". Soon enough, despite receiving much praise from humanitarian groups who applauded the Queen for her neutral approach towards ongoing tensions between the two countries, the remark itself, particularly the part where she called for the lifting of the {{wp|American}} embargo on {{wp|Cuba}}, drew strong criticism from the {{wp|American}} government including {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Donald Trump}} who stressed that the embargo would "remain fully in force unless {{wp|Cuba}} makes some significant reforms first" while some members of the {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and several {{wp|Cuban}} exiles in the {{wp|United States}} accused the Queen of "protecting the brutal {{wp|Fidel Castro|Castro}} regime" to which {{wp|British}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} responded by stating that the Queen's remark was "purely humanitarian in nature and never about protecting or defending the {{wp|Cuban}} regime" while particularly pointing out the fact that the {{wp|United States}} is currently the only country with an active embargo on {{wp|Cuba}} whereas most {{wp|European}} nations enjoy fairly unrestricted trade relations with {{wp|Cuba}}.
[[File:Salon Azul, Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.jpg|thumb|left|The Blue Room of the {{wp|Legislative Assembly of El Salvador}} where in February 2020 {{wp|President of El Salvador|President}} {{wp|Nayib Bukele}} controversially sent soldiers into in order to encourage the passing of a bill to further fund the country's military and police force]]
Despite the controversy, the Queen later followed up on a second state visit to the {{wp|Americas}} just a month later, with her second state visit to the continent being to {{wp|El Salvador}}, the ancestral home of her maternal grandmother {{wp|Maria Elizabeth}}. Upon arriving in the country, and accompanied by her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} and {{wp|Maria Elizabeth|grandmother}}, the Queen met with {{wp|President of El Salvador|President}} {{wp|Nayib Bukele}} whose administration oversaw a notable decline in the country's notoriously high crime rate which later led the former to express her wish during the ensuing state dinner at "seeing a peaceful and vibrant {{wp|El Salvador}} freed from its murderous and horrific past". Ironically, despite an initial positive perception of the {{wp|Nayib Bukele|Bukele}} administration early on, in recent years, Alexandra's perception of the {{wp|Salvadoran}} president is reported to have gradually soured, as a result of several domestic controversies involving {{wp|Nayib Bukele|Bukele}}, with the most infamous being his decision to {{wp|2020 Salvadoran political crisis|send soldiers}} into the country's legislative assembly in order to ensure the passing of a bill guaranteeing further funding for the country's police and armed forces, as well as his decision to {{wp|2021 Salvadoran political crisis|fire}} the country's attorney general and five of its supreme court judges, both of which have been described as a "self-coup" and met with condemnation by many. 
On 20 September 2019, Alexandra personally addressed the {{wp|United Nations}} for the very first time as her country's head of state in which she called for a "global and coordinated initiative to tackle both the pressing issues of global warming and extremism in all known forms" while also particularly advocating for "further collective action" to tackle the longstanding global migrant crisis, an issue that she described as "personally close to my heart" and "greatly appalling to hear about every single day". Furthermore, in a remark believed to be a subtle form of criticism towards {{wp|US}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Donald Trump}}, the Queen remarked, ''"When it comes to a land of opportunities, immigrants are not to be turned away but rather welcomed and celebrated as part of the community they have come to associate with. In the end, throughout much of history, humans have always been on the move to places around them and they rarely, if ever, otherwise remain in one single place"''. In addition, the Queen also stressed the need for religious tolerance, stating, ''"As the proud daughter of a {{wp|Protestant}} father and a {{wp|Roman Catholic}} mother, I personally know all too well about maintaining everlasting balance and eternal tolerance between people of two differing religious sects as well as the consequences if they are otherwise not properly upheld which, to simply put it, are not the best for humanity. After having seemingly abandoned it for centuries, religious wars between two major religious faiths should not be allowed to return and overtake constructive dialogue between the two sides"''.
[[File:SMF.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Sanna Marin}}, a {{wp|Finnish}} politician of the {{wp|Social Democratic Party of Finland}}. She previously served as {{wp|Prime Minister of Finland}} from 2019 to 2023 during which {{wp|Finland}} markedly became a member of {{wp|NATO}}]]
Meanwhile, in December of that year, following the confirmation of {{wp|Finnish}} politician {{wp|Sanna Marin}} as the country's new {{wp|Prime Minister of Finland|prime minister}}, Alexandra herself notably became the first world leader to personally congratulate {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}} on her new premiership role via {{wp|Twitter}} where she also expressed her wish that "an undeniably historic and memorable meeting between the youngest monarch and the youngest prime minister in the world could take place in the near future". Soon enough, such a proposal did indeed become a reality when on 17 December 2019, exactly a week into {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}}'s tenure as prime minister, Alexandra herself paid a state visit to {{wp|Finland}} which began with her participating in a Q&A session with the {{wp|Finnish}} press followed by a boat ride with {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}} along the coast of the {{wp|Gulf of Finland}} and later an official state dinner held in her honour at the {{wp|Presidential Palace, Helsinki|Presidential Palace}} in {{wp|Helsinki}} where the Queen met {{wp|Finnish}} {{wp|President of Finland|President}} {{wp|Sauli Niinistö}} who subsequently praised the monarch as a "bright and extraordinarily talented young woman". In the midst of this, the close and somewhat personal friendship between Alexandra and {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}} was quickly noted by the media, with ''{{wp|The Guardian}}'' particularly noting the two's "wholesome genuine spirit of friendship" as seen by their somewhat informal and more relaxed behaviour when in each other's presence which ''{{wp|The Independent}}'' attributed to the two women being relatively young leaders themselves, hence the somewhat close bond between the two who are notably just seven years apart in age. Evidently, Alexandra also expressed her subsequent "sadness" following {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}}'s resignation as {{wp|Prime Minister of Finland|prime minister}} in the aftermath of {{wp|Finland}}'s {{wp|2023 Finnish parliamentary election|parliamentary election}} that took place in April 2023. Later, on 12 September 2023, at the {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|Sanna Marin|Marin}} was photographed attending an [[2023 Queen Alexandra Exhibition Match|exhibition match]] between {{wp|England}}'s {{wp|England national football team|men}}'s and {{wp|Lionesses|women}}'s national football teams in which she was joined by Alexandra and several of their close friends.
{{Quote box
|quote  = "Before this, I sometime hear stories about how my great-grandparents had to always be extra careful and very vigilant as the {{wp|Germans}} were out bombing {{wp|London}} and the entirety of {{wp|England}} as ordered by {{wp|Adolf Hitler|Hitler}}. Now, it is quite unimaginable to think that I'll be at the center of some deadly pandemic that, while different from an actual war of course, is nonetheless just as deadly and requires much extra vigilance for both one's and the community's sake".
|author = Alexandra on the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}} occurring during her reign
|source =
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On 31 January 2020, following the emergence of the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 virus in the United Kingdom}}, Alexandra privately moved to nearby {{wp|Windsor Castle}} all while public engagements planned for the near future were promptly canceled by her own decree. Then, on March 5th, following the first COVID-related death in the country, she promptly addressed the public through a televised broadcast from the castle in which she declared, ''"Eighty years ago, the {{wp|British}} people have both calmly and vigilantly endured the grueling troubles and deathly hardships of the {{wp|The Blitz|Blitz}}. Today, it is time that we emulate the very same sense of calmness and vigilance that have propelled us forward and past our misery before. In the end, success is what we cherish and is also what we shall fight for together as a united nation and community"''. On May 8th of that year, in commemorating the 77th {{wp|Victory in Europe Day|VE Day}} anniversary, she once again addressed the nation, in which she spoke of the importance of "perseverance, vigilance, and rationality" in facing the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}, stating, ''"In difficult times like these, it is rather easy to get carried away or be led astray, therefore, it is our collective responsibility to ensure a firm and united front against this ongoing pandemic"''. Then, on May 11th, which was also the date of her 24th birthday, the Queen carried out her first public engagement since the beginning of the pandemic by visiting a number of {{wp|National Health Service|NHS}} facilities across {{wp|Great Britain}} before proceeding with a three-day-long tour around [[Hanover]] where she met with a number of {{wp|Hanoverian}} government officials and medical experts. Then, she also visited the neighbouring countries of the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}, where she also reigns over as monarch, meeting government officials and medical experts in both countries respectively.
On 6 May 2020, as per the rules of the {{wp|Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011}}, a general election was held to elect members of the {{wp|House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons}}. In this, despite some controversy over the timing of the election which happened to be within the early months of the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}, it was decided that the election would proceed as planned with alternative methods such as {{wp|early voting|early}} and {{wp|postal voting|postal}} votings strongly encouraged out of health and safety concerns. In the end, despite some delays due to the widespread use of the new voting methods, incumbent {{wp|David Cameron}} and the {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party}}, who had been in a coalition with the [[Hanoverian Union Party|HUP]], successfully achieved a working majority of 381 seats whereas the {{wp|Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party}} under {{wp|Jeremy Corbyn}} saw their share of seats reduced further from 232 to 185, prompting him to later announce his resignation as party leader in light of their worst showing in decades. In the midst of this, her half-sister [[Jacqueline Smith]] was elected to the {{wp|House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons}} as a representative of the {{wp|St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)|St Albans}} constituency after which the latter went on to become leader of the {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}} in light of the resignation of {{wp|Tim Farron}} following a disastrous showing. Meanwhile, on 15 January 2021, following a {{wp|Dutch}} parliamentary inquiry into the country's childcare benefits scandal, the incumbent {{wp|Mark Rutte}} subsequently tendered his resignation as the country's prime minister whilst accepting full responsibility for the scandal himself. Nonetheless, in the following {{wp|2021 Dutch general election}}, which took place from 15 to 17 March 2021, {{wp|Mark Rutte|Rutte}}, who leads the {{wp|National Coalition}}, subsequently won re-election to serve his fourth consecutive term as prime minister.
===Post-COVID-19===
[[File:Mount Herzl IMG 1149.JPG|thumb|200px|right|The main entrence to {{wp|Mount Herzl}}, {{wp|Israel}}'s national cemetery site. Since its completion, it has served as the burial site of {{wp|Israeli}} presidents and prime ministers as well as {{wp|Theodor Herzl}}, the founder of modern {{wp|Zionism}} and the namesake of the site]]
Due to the onset of the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}, on the grounds of "personal health" and "safety issues", the Queen consequently temporarily ceased conducting any further state visits abroad for the time being until around September of that same year when she began resuming her usual state visits as monarch abroad, with her first country of choice being {{wp|Israel}}, a choice that, given the longstanding tensions in the region, immediately proved controversial. In response, {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} {{wp|Philip Hammond}} argued that the state visit was "nothing more than the Queen getting in touch with her well-known {{wp|Jewish}} heritage" while critics, particularly {{wp|Hamas}} leader {{wp|Ismail Haniyeh}} claimed that the state visit, the first for a {{wp|British}} monarch to {{wp|Israel}}, supposedly signified the monarchy's "endorsement of {{wp|Zionist}} atrocities against the {{wp|Palestinians}}", to which {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} responded by asserting that the Queen would "meet the leaders of both {{wp|Israel}} and {{wp|Palestine}} in an equal and non-judgemental manner". 
Meanwhile, in June 2021, the Queen went on to host the sitting {{wp|United States|US}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Joe Biden}} in a scaled-down ceremony at {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} after which she, along with her siblings attended that year's {{wp|G8}} {{wp|47th G7 summit|summit}} held in {{wp|Cornwall}}, {{wp|England}} alongside {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} and the other leaders of the organisation including {{wp|Joe Biden|Biden}} himself. Then, on July 10th, Alexandra paid her first-ever state visit as monarch to the {{wp|United States}}, arriving alongside {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} {{wp|Rory Stewart}} at {{wp|Joint Base Andrews}} where they were received by {{wp|United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State}} {{wp|Antony Blinken}}. Over the course of the week-long visit, the Queen toured a number of historical sites across the {{wp|United States}} including {{wp|Mount Rushmore}}, {{wp|Yellowstone National Park}}, and the {{wp|Lincoln Memorial}}, visited several of the country's top universities, and also met with a number of {{wp|Hollywood}} celebrities. In this, the highlight of her state visit came in the form of an address to a joint session of the {{wp|United States Congress}} in which she touched on the "special relationship" between the two countries and, in a subtle reference to the {{wp|January 6 United States Capitol attack|attack}} on the {{wp|United States Capitol}} in January beforehand, stressed the importance of "fair elections" and a "working democracy", thereby prompting a response from the controversial pair of {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} congresswomen {{wp|Lauren Boebert}} and {{wp|Marjorie Taylor Greene}}, both of whom were then temporarily expelled from the chamber by {{wp|Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker}} {{wp|Nancy Pelosi}}, allowing the monarch to read out the rest of her speech before concluding with unanimous applause from the crowd.
In that same month, Alexandra also personally attended and witnessed {{wp|England}}'s 3-0 victory over {{wp|Spain}} in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2020 Final}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}} in which captain {{wp|Harry Kane}} scored first to give {{wp|England}} the lead before {{wp|Jordan Henderson}} doubled the lead afterward and which was only extended further by an own-goal error from {{wp|Spanish}} midfielder {{wp|Dani Parejo}} whose blunder confirmed {{wp|England}}'s third {{wp|European}} title in almost a decade since they last won it in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012}} in which {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Spain}} 5-2 to claim their second consecutive {{wp|European}} title after their inaugural one in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008|2008}}. Similarly, on October 10th, she was also present at the {{wp|San Siro}} in {{wp|Milan}}, {{wp|Italy}}, where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Spain}} 2-0 through goals from captain {{wp|Harry Kane}} and defender {{wp|Harry Maguire}} in the {{wp|2021 UEFA Nations League Final}} to claim their first title in just its second edition.
[[File:FOK2021.jpg|thumb|right|A {{wp|US}} {{wp|Boeing CH-47 Chinook}} helicopter departing {{wp|Kabul}}, {{wp|Afghanistan}}, as the city falls to advancing {{wp|Taliban}} forces]]
On 15 August 2021, not long after the {{wp|Afghan}} capital of {{wp|Kabul}} fell to encroaching {{wp|Taliban}} forces, Alexandra herself was reported personally meeting with returning {{wp|British}} troops evacuated from the {{wp|Afghan}} capital in the days leading up to the city's fall to the militants in a "special emergency session" held at the {{wp|Army Headquarters (United Kingdom)|Army Headquarters}} in {{wp|Hampshire}} where the {{wp|BBC}} later reported that the Queen held a "very serious and heartfelt discussion with returning {{wp|British}} troops over the ongoing chaos in {{wp|Afghanistan}}". Since then, Alexandra has actively called for the returning {{wp|Taliban}} administration to "abide by your stated promises" with the said promises referring to the militant group's pledge for, among others, a more "moderate" administration, a move seen by some as the group's supposed departure from its previous hardline rule that was ended by a {{wp|United States invasion of Afghanistan|US invasion}} of the country in late 2001. Then, amidst several reversals and delays in meeting the aforementioned promises, Alexandra has since come to actively and publicly criticise what she termed the "return of the old regressive administration of the {{wp|Taliban}} regime", stating, ''"One day, they publicly hinted at turning over a new leaf and starting over now that they have all the power but alas, just the following day, they have clearly shown that they are going to stick to their old ancient ways no matter what all while completely disregarding their initial promises"''. Then, on 20 May 2022, just a day after the {{wp|Taliban}} decreed that female television anchors are to cover themselves up, the Queen said, ''"Geopolitical interests aside, it is absolutely obvious that recent developments have been an absolute blow for women, especially in traditionally conservative or patriarchal societies, for all the freedom, independence, and personal liberty they've previously enjoyed are now being quickly taken away in a matter of days with little to no resistance"''. 
[[File:Russian cruiser Moskva.jpg|thumb|right|The {{wp|Russian cruiser Moskva|Moskva}}, a {{wp|Russian}} {{wp|guided missile cruiser}} and the flagship of {{wp|Russia}}'s {{wp|Black Sea Fleet}}, which was reportedly sunk on 14 April 2022 by {{wp|Ukrainian}} missile fires]]
A fierce critic of {{wp|Russia}}'s {{wp|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion}} of {{wp|Ukraine}}, since the conflict's inception in February 2022, the Queen has regularly spoken out against what she perceived as "clear-cut military aggression by a sovereign country against another", stating, ''"The last time an {{wp|European}} country decided to egregiously violate the sovereignty of another {{wp|European}} nation, the whole world paid the price for it, namely in the form of millions of deaths worldwide"''. On 25 May 2022, the Queen herself met {{wp|Ukrainian}} {{wp|President of Ukraine|President}} {{wp|Volodymyr Zelensky}} in a brief visit to the {{wp|Ukrainian}} capital of {{wp|Kyiv}} in which she was joined by her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] and {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} {{wp|Rory Stewart}}. In addition to the visit, the Queen also strongly condemned the accession referendums held by {{wp|Russia}} in several occupied regions of {{wp|Ukraine}}, calling them "downright farcical" and "another blatant example of {{wp|Russia}} mocking and abusing democratic norms in order to achieve their irredentist and nationalistic goals of {{wp|Novorossiya}}". Later, in a speech marking the first anniversary of the {{wp|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion}}, Alexandra urged for {{wp|Western}} governments to "continue resolutely supporting {{wp|Ukraine}} in their fight for sovereignty and total independence from {{wp|Russia}} who have been exposed by many to be rather struggling in their bloodthirsty conquest in the face of spirited and unyielding resistance by the people of {{wp|Ukraine}}". On 24 August 2023, in response to news reports surrounding the death of {{wp|Yevgeny Prigozhin}}, founder of {{wp|Russia}}'s private military company {{wp|Wagner Group}}, from a plane crash, the Queen described it as "very good news for the victims of years of {{wp|Russian}} and {{wp|Wagner Group|Wagner}} violence" while asserting that the conflict itself nonetheless remains unchanged given {{wp|Vladimir Putin|Putin}}'s continued role in the ongoing war.
[[File:Official portrait of Mr Philip Hammond crop 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|{{wp|Philip Hammond}}, the current {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}} since 6 June 2022, having succeeded {{wp|David Cameron}} following the infamous {{wp|Partygate}} scandal]]
On 25 May 2022, shortly after the release of a damning report by the {{wp|British}} civil servant {{wp|Sue Gray (political adviser)|Sue Gray}} that further implicated longtime {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}} and the ruling {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party}} over the issue of lockdown parties held during the ongoing pandemic, by way of a press conference held roughly ten minutes after the report's release, {{wp|David Cameron}} announced his decision to "effectively resign" as {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister}}, thereby triggering a subsequent leadership election for the {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party}} that eventually saw {{wp|Philip Hammond}}, formerly the {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} under {{wp|David Cameron|Cameron}}, elected as the new leader of the ruling {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party}} and therefore the country's newest {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister}}. On 6 June 2022, at 10:15 a.m, shortly after {{wp|David Cameron|Cameron}} tendered his resignation to the Queen, {{wp|Philip Hammond|Hammond}}, the victor of the party leadership election, was then duly sworn in as the new {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister}} while the sitting {{wp|Chancellor of the Exchequer}} {{wp|David Gauke|David Gauke}} was sworn in as the new {{wp|Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|deputy prime minister}}, replacing {{wp|David Cameron|Cameron}}'s longtime deputy {{wp|George Osborne}} in the position while also retaining his original post. Meanwhile, {{wp|Philip Hammond|Hammond}}'s post of {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} was handed over to {{wp|Rory Stewart}} who officially took office a few days later.
On 31 July 2022, shortly after a historic back-to-back victory for the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}} over their {{wp|German}} rivals in the {{wp|UEFA Women's Euro 2022}} championship which they won 2-1 thanks to a late tiebreaker goal by {{wp|Forward (association football)|forward}} {{wp|Chloe Kelly}} in the 110th minute in extra time, the Queen issued a public announcement whereby all the members of the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}} would each be awarded an {{wp|Order of the British Empire}} in recognition of their "continued success in women's football", with the victory seeing them win their second {{wp|UEFA Women's Championship}} in a row, becoming only the second nation to do so after {{wp|Germany}}, which had won the majority of the tournament's previous editions. In conjunction with that, the Queen also publicly called on the {{wp|British}} government to "ensure that women's football is just as popular and widely covered as the men's", stating, ''"Up to this point, the women's team have continued to win both the World Cup and the Euros twice in a row without fail, which to me, and perhaps to the entire team itself, deserves more than just brief and cursory recognition from both the government and the wider public, just as how the men's team won three World Cups and two Euros in a row just a decade ago"''. A week later, all the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}} players, including {{wp|Dutch}}-born manager {{wp|Sarina Wiegman}} (who otherwise received an {{wp|Order of Orange-Nassau}} award and an honorary damehood for her success), were then invited to a celebratory dinner at {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} as per the tradition of honouring a major success achieved by either the country's men's or women's national football teams. Otherwise, amidst popular assumptions of her being personally critical of the controversial {{wp|2022 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Qatar}} as evidenced by the royal's notable absence from the tournament in which heads of state of competing nations are usually present in support, Alexandra nonetheless celebrated {{wp|England}}'s triumph at the tournament where they defeated {{wp|Germany}} 5-1 to mark a fifth consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title, making it sixteen years unbeaten.
On 29 December 2022, Alexandra, along with a host of other major football figures, together voiced their condolences shortly after it was reported that the {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}} had passed away at the age of eighty-two at the {{wp|Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital}} in {{wp|São Paulo}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, where the latter had been receiving treatment in the days prior to his death for a reported tumour before eventually dying of {{wp|colon cancer}}. In a public statement released shortly after the {{wp|Brazilian}} legend's death, she remarked that "regardless of gender, men or women, the man known as {{wp|Pelé}} or Edson Arantes do Nascimento will always be an icon for generations to remember and be inspired by to play the beautiful game of football". The following year, the Queen was also met with the death of her distant cousin, namely {{wp|Greece}}'s {{wp|Constantine II of Greece|King Constantine II}} on January 10th, thereby ending a long five-decades-long reign, and just a day later, the death of {{wp|German}} supermodel {{wp|Tatjana Patitz}}, one of her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}'s close modeling friends. Meanwhile, in April of the following year, Alexandra held a state visit to neighbouring {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}}, becoming the first {{wp|British}} monarch to visit the country since it gained full independence from the {{wp|United Kingdom}} in 1919, with previous state visits being deemed unfeasible owing to both political sensitivities and security issues caused by activities of the {{wp|Provisional Irish Republican Army|Irish Republican Army}} who eventually ceased all armed activities following the {{wp|Good Friday Agreement}} in 1998. During the ensuing three-day period, amidst a series of nationalist protests, the Queen met with {{wp|Irish}} {{wp|President of Ireland|President}} {{wp|Michael D. Higgins}} and {{wp|Republic of Ireland women's national football team|Ireland Women}} captain {{wp|Katie McCabe}}, previously a teammate of hers at {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} and who publicly spoke out in support of her former teammate, stating that regardless of the "difficult history" between their nations, the two do otherwise get along well as teammates. Meanwhile, in that same month, the Queen also attended the inaugural {{wp|Women's Finalissima}} match at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}}, in which {{wp|England}}, winners of the {{wp|UEFA Women's Euro 2022}}, defeated {{wp|Brazil}}, winners of the {{wp|2022 Copa América Femenina}}, 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in which a 23rd-minute {{wp|Ella Toone}} goal was countered by a late 93rd-minute {{wp|Andressa Alves|Andressa}} goal in extra time.
[[File:AUS.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The {{wp|Stadium Australia}} in {{wp|Sydney}}, {{wp|Australia}}, which hosted the {{wp|2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final}} between {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Spain}} on 20 August 2023]]
On 10 July 2023, {{wp|Dutch}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Mark Rutte}}, following his coalition government's collapse over immigration issues, announced that he would not be seeking a fifth term as prime minister, effectively bringing to an end the an almost decade long tenure with an ensuing general election resulting in {{wp|Paul Magnette}}, leader of the {{wp|Coalition for Labour and Socialism}}, appointed prime minister. Meanwhile, ten days later, in her capacity as head of state, the Queen presided over the opening ceremony of the {{wp|2023 FIFA Women's World Cup}} in {{wp|Australia}} and {{wp|New Zealand}} during which she gave a short speech commending the progress of women's football in recent years while also briefly acknowledging the victims of a shooting in {{wp|Auckland}}, {{wp|New Zealand}} just hours prior to the event, stating, ''"The unfortunate lives lost just recently will undoubtedly be a source of grief and tragedy for all but at the same time the violent actions of one man will never deter the event and all its supporters from going ahead now in the spirit of both the lives lost as well as the values and the future this tournament holds"''. In the end, while making history as the first women's national team to reach three consecutive finals in a row, {{wp|Lionesses|England}} also notably became the first women's team to win three {{wp|FIFA Women's World Cup|World Cups}} in a row by defeating maiden finalists {{wp|Spain}} 5-2 in the finals at the {{wp|Stadium Australia}} where the Queen, joined by her brothers [[William Smith]] and [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]], witnessed {{wp|Georgia Stanway}} score four times against the {{wp|Spaniards}}, becoming just the second female player after Alexandra herself to score a hat-trick in a {{wp|FIFA Women's World Cup|Women's World Cup}} final and most notably the only player, male or female, to score four goals in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final. In the ensuing celebratory dinner, Alexandra heralded the {{wp|Lionesses}}' record-breaking successes as "out of this world" and also a "living proof of the successes of the {{wp|Wembley Renaissance}}", adding, ''"Obviously, to some people, this is perhaps the end or culmination of a several years long effort but make no mistake, for as long as football itself exists, {{wp|England}} will always continue to strive and innovate with the unquestionable goal of consistently being on top in both men's and women's football as both innovators and pioneers of the sport"''.
On 7 October 2023, shortly after a {{wp|Re'im music festival massacre|surprise attack}} conducted by the {{wp|Palestinian}} militant group {{wp|Hamas}} left hundreds of {{wp|Israeli}} civilians dead with a number of them taken hostage afterward, Alexandra issued a public statement condemning the {{wp|Hamas|group}}'s actions, describing it as a "horrific major act of terror" and a "serious impediment to meaningful peace processes". Afterward, amidst increasing calls for a ceasefire between the two sides, the Queen remarked that "any cessation in hostilities must be both impactful and worthwhile" while also sternly warning against "misguided acts of communal violence" spurred by either {{wp|anti-Semitism}} or {{wp|Islamophobia}}, stating, ''"The events that unfolded in {{wp|Gaza}} were already difficult enough and therefore they do not need to serve as inspiration for further violence abroad, namely in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} where communities of differing faiths have lived in relative peace for years"''. In addition, she also criticised the {{wp|Yemeni}} {{wp|Houthi movement|Houthis}} for their "incessant attack on commercial ships", stating that "regardless of any situation, the concept of freedom of navigation is absolutely non-negotiable" while also chiding the militants for "making enemies with whom they should have otherwise not".
On 20 February 2024, not long after the ruling {{wp|Conservative Party (United Kingdom)|Conservative Party}} suffered two major by-election losses which saw their share of seats in the {{wp|House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons}} reduced dangerously close to the majority threshold, a no-confidence vote was brought forward by {{wp|Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition}} {{wp|Keir Starmer}} that resulted in the collapse of the government after nineteen {{wp|Conservative Party (United Kingdom)|Conservative}} parliamentarians rebelled against their party and voted decisively alongside the opposition to achieve a final 384-352 result, thereby leading the Queen to dissolve the lower house with general elections scheduled in a couple of months. In this, rumours have arisen that the country's three biggest opposition parties, namely the {{wp|Labour Party (United Kingdom)|Labour Party}}, the {{wp|Lib Dems|Liberal Democrats}}, and the [[Hanoverian Union Party]] have secretly concocted an electoral pact to oust the ruling {{wp|Conservative Party (United Kingdom)|Conservatives}}, reportedly in anticipation of a {{wp|hung parliament}} based on current trends and predictions.
==Personal Life==
[[File:Rolls-Royce Phantom VI 2009 State Limousine Windsor Castle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A sight of the {{wp|Rolls-Royce Phantom VI}}, the main automobile used to transport the Queen for official events. The one currently in service is reportedly nicknamed "Ravager" by the Queen]]
In the tradition of her ancestors, the Queen is personally known for her own love of automobiles as evidenced by her personal collection of several luxury vehicles including a {{wp|McLaren GT}}, a {{wp|BMW M8}}, and the iconic {{wp|Jaguar E-Type}} in which a one-off and exclusive model was made for her eighteenth birthday by the {{wp|British}} luxury vehicle brand {{wp|Jaguar}}. However, while all three vehicles are personally driven by the Queen on non-ceremonial or leisurely occasions, for official occasions, she is normally driven in an armoured {{wp|Rolls-Royce Phantom VI}} along with several other {{wp|Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce}} and {{wp|Bentley}} automobiles. In line with this, Alexandra herself is reportedly proficient at fixing automobiles by herself, a skill she publicly displayed during a special appearance in {{wp|Top Gear (2002 TV series)|''Top Gear''}}. However, despite her fondness for automobiles, Alexandra is said to have also enjoyed horseback riding which she would often do around the grounds of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} or the {{wp|Scottish Highlands}} whenever she was visiting {{wp|Scotland}} up north. In a 2018 interview, she revealed that among the collection of horses at her disposal, her personal favourite is a male white {{wp|thoroughbred}} named "Bolt" in reference to the titular dog character from the 2008 film {{wp|Bolt (2008 film)|''Bolt''}}. Incidentally, she also personally owns a {{wp|Siberian husky}} which she named "Little Bolt". A certified pilot, Alexandra is known to have occasionally flown her [[Charles the Great|late grandfather]]'s treasured {{wp|de Havilland Tiger Moth}} biplane for recreational purposes, having previously inherited the antique biplane that was built back for her [[Charles the Great|late grandfather]] in the 1930s and which has since been passed down from one generation to the other.
During an interview with {{wp|Vogue (magazine)|''Vogue''}}, Alexandra revealed that in her free time, when not doing any physical activities or spending time with her family members, Alexandra revealed herself to be a recreational "gamer", stating that as an avid football fan, she mostly enjoyed the {{wp|FIFA (video game series)|''FIFA''}} video game series in which case she claims to be "relatively proficient" at playing it. In addition to this, Alexandra is also said to enjoy the popular sandbox game ''{{wp|Minecraft}}'', classic puzzle video game ''{{wp|Tetris}}'', racing simulation video game series {{wp|Gran Turismo (series)|''Gran Turismo''}}, and the open world video game series ''{{wp|Assassin's Creed}}''. In this, Alexandra explained that her parents generally do not restrict her time playing video games, stating, ''"Early on, I always had a sense of discipline, self-control, and punctuality that I rarely overindulge when playing video games or the sort. Personally, for me, my ideal playing time is a couple of hours maximum because if I go on longer than that then I'll just end up tired and exhausted by the end of it"''.
In line with her well-known athletic lifestyle, on the occasions where she was not preoccupied with any sort of duties, Alexandra, usually alongside her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}}, would often participate in various marathons across the {{wp|United Kingdom}} including the annual {{wp|London Marathon}} for which she had a personal best record of 2:57:36. Regarding this, the Queen has described it as "one of the very moments where I can just be myself with no one else bound to notice amidst an ocean of people around" but added that her participation in such events otherwise presented some reasonable security risks, thereby requiring her to always wear a tracking device on herself along with being discreetly accompanied by at least several able-bodied bodyguards nearby who are to always be within distance of the monarch in case of emergencies. In addition to this, she is also a noted anti-smoking activist, a cause she inherited from her own {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} who began indulging herself in anti-smoking activism following her father's passing from {{wp|lung cancer}} just several months after Alexandra, his first grandchild, was born, a moment that the royal herself described as "too vague to fully remember but one that certainly breaks my heart each time".
A polyglot, Alexandra is known to be able to communicate fluently in a number of languages in addition to her native {{wp|English}} which includes {{wp|German}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, {{wp|Spanish}}, and {{wp|Hebrew}}, a feat that she attributed to her rather diverse background in which her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] is the descendant of a long line of {{wp|English}} monarchs while her {{wp|Christy Turlington|mother}} is otherwise born to an immigrant from {{wp|El Salvador}} in {{wp|Central America}}. At the same time, her future role as her country's head of state, which requires her to travel to many different countries around the world, coupled with the fact that she would also later become the head of state of the {{wp|Dutch}}-speaking {{wp|Netherlands}}, prompted her to learn a few more languages as preparation for her future role as monarch, a task that she once described as "very Herculean but ultimately rewarding in the end", stating, ''"Life just becomes absolutely more fun when you can talk to a different group of people in their own language and vice versa"''.
A self-professed "superfan" of {{wp|Hollywood}} films, particularly those of the {{wp|romantic comedy}} genre, Alexandra is known to have personally enjoyed a number of films to a strong degree, namely {{wp|Notting Hill (film)|''Notting Hill''}}, ''{{wp|Legally Blonde}}'', ''{{wp|13 Going on 30}}'', ''{{wp|Love Actually}}'', and ''{{wp|She's Out of My League}}''. In this, she has named the ''{{wp|Legally Blonde}}'' character {{wp|Elle Woods}}, played by {{wp|Reese Witherspoon}}, as her "personal favourite", stating that the character's "happy-go-lucky attitude" and "unwavering determination" were qualities that she came to see as particularly relevant as she was entering adulthood herself, adding, ''"Regardless of one's status or position in life, losing a dearly beloved family member right on the cusp of adulthood is an undeniably difficult thing and which is something I was forced to face even when I obviously didn't ask for it. On some occasions, it almost brought me down both physically and mentally but I got help and most importantly persevered which was something that {{wp|Elle Woods}} definitely inspired me to do"''. Meanwhile, from an early age, Alexandra came to be a passionate fan of the {{wp|American}} comedy-drama series ''{{wp|Gilmore Girls}}'' starring {{wp|Lauren Graham}} and {{wp|Alexis Bledel}}, the latter with whom Alexandra is known to be very close in the years since. On the other hand, in terms of music, Alexandra is known to have enjoyed a mix of contemporary and classic musical acts including {{wp|Dua Lipa}}, {{wp|Ed Sheeran}}, {{wp|NSYNC}}, {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, {{wp|Elvis Presley}}, {{wp|Michael Jackson}}, {{wp|George Michael}}, {{wp|Queen (band)|Queen}}, {{wp|Paula Abdul}}, and {{wp|Whitney Houston}}. In the meantime, her favourite actors and actresses include {{wp|Hugh Grant}}, {{wp|Tom Hanks}}, {{wp|George Clooney}}, {{wp|Jack Black}}, {{wp|Julia Roberts}}, {{wp|Emma Watson}}, {{wp|Alexis Bledel}}, {{wp|Reese Witherspoon}}, {{wp|Anne Hathaway}}, and {{wp|Julie Andrews}}.
With an estimated personal net worth of $7.2 billion via her hereditary inheritance of the complete shares of {{wp|LC Holdings}}, a {{wp|Luxembourgish}} holding company, Alexandra is generally regarded as one of the richest monarchs in the world. Moreover, with a projected inheritance of up to $48 billion in shares belonging to her [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] in the multi-billion dollar holding company {{wp|Atlantic Connection}}, she is therefore expected to be worth a grand total of around $55 billion, effectively making her one of the richest women in the world. However, according to several media reports, the former [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]] reportedly intends to divide the total between his seven children with each expected to receive around $6.8 billion only, an amount that was later revised to $12 billion each after his two eldest children reportedly chose not to be among the major recipients and his twin daughters agreed to inherit their shares jointly as a single unit rather than as two separate individuals. However, despite being fully entitled to her personal wealth, the Queen, much like her predecessors, has traditionally delegated financial responsibilities to the {{wp|Keeper of the Privy Purse}}. Meanwhile, beginning from the reign of [[Charles the Great|King Charles III]], {{wp|British}} monarchs have traditionally employed a member of the {{wp|English}} branch of the illustrious {{wp|Rothschild banking family of England|Rothschild banking family}}, beginning with {{wp|Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild}}, whose primary role is overseeing and managing the monarch's investments with their shares in {{wp|Atlantic Connection}} considered to be the most profitable and biggest of them all.
Although primarily known for her successful football career, in a 2022 interview with {{wp|BBC Sport}}, Alexandra revealed that if not for football, she could have considered a different career in sports with alternative options including {{wp|tennis}} and {{wp|basketball}}. In this, despite her relatively short height compared to the {{wp|WNBA}} average, a factor that might hinder her progression in the sport, Alexandra asserts that in an alternate reality, she would have liked to become a professional basketball player in her own right in which her preferred position in a team would be a {{wp|point guard}}, a role that she deemed to be the most fitting owing to her relatively short height and impressive pace, both of which could prove useful in her role as the team's playmaker and top assister. In addition, Alexandra has also expressed some occasional interest in {{wp|tennis}}, with her idols in the sport being the likes of {{wp|Billie Jean King}}, {{wp|Steffi Graf}}, {{wp|Serena Williams}}, and {{wp|Maria Sharapova}}. To that end, on her 20th birthday, Alexandra herself managed to get {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}} to participate in a best-of-three exhibition match that also doubled as a charity event at the famous {{wp|Centre Court}} in {{wp|Wimbledon, London}} which ultimately ended in a 2-1 win for the royal who initially bested {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}} 7-5 in the first round before the {{wp|Russian}} came back to win 6-3 in the second round but not before Alexandra herself ultimately emerged triumphant by defeating the latter 6-4 in the third and final round. During the subsequent post-match interview, Alexandra revealed that despite the gap in experience, she asked {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}} to "not go easy on me", stating, ''"Logically speaking, I knew pretty well that by conventional wisdom, I was going to absolutely lose to someone like {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}}. To ultimately come out victorious somehow is one thing but even if I had lost anyway, which is what most people expected me to, I can safely say that she (Sharapova) did not hold back and kept me on my toes with every single stroke by her racquet"''. Meanwhile, on her part, {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}} herself admitted to "giving a 101%" in all three rounds against the royal whose eventual triumph, coupled with her surprising tenacity and ability to remain competitive against the more experienced {{wp|Russian}} tennis player, was described by her as a "very big surprise" although she nonetheless described it as a "very good and memorable contest" and added that both of them "gave their very best against each other" despite the gap in experience and initial signs pointing to an easy victory for {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}}. In the meantime, the event itself successfully raised a rough total of £4.47 million, all of which was later donated to charitable causes.
===Relations & Friendships===
{{Main|Personal Life: Relationships}}
===Romances===
{{Main|Personal Life: Romances}}
 
===Modeling===
{{Main|Personal Life: Modeling}}
===Interests===
{{Main|Personal Life: Interests}}   
===Women's Football===
{{Main|Personal Life: Women's Football}}
===Assassination Attempts===
{{Main|Personal Life: Assassination Attempts}}
==Style of Play==
{{Quote box
|quote  = "Essentially, she has both the speed and technicality to play almost anywhere along the front. You put her on the sides as a winger and she can definitely do it or if you put her in the center as a striker then she'll also do it just as well herself. Among others, her opponents usually found it very hard to catch up to her to mark her down and also very difficult to stop any ball that was launched from her feet because it was just that powerful and too accurate to stop by anyone".
|author = Former {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal Women}} manager {{wp|Joe Montemurro}} on Alexandra's speed and versatility
|source =
|width  = 50%
|align  = right
}}
Blessed by an explosive pace, coupled with a relatively short stature and combined with adept dribbling and crossing abilities, Alexandra initially started off as a winger in her early years at {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} in support of fellow teammate {{wp|Ellen White (footballer)|Ellen White}} who otherwise mostly served as the principal forward for her team. In this, despite not necessarily playing in her dream position of a center-forward, her rapid pace and adept crosses made her a highly proficient winger with a knack for facing opposition full-backs head-on while also cutting inside into the penalty area. In addition, although naturally left-footed, Alexandra is nonetheless generally adept with either leg and has been deployed on either flank. However, as she later shifted more to the center as a striker or even an attacking midfielder, Alexandra then came to be known more for her creativity in engineering goalscoring chances through a combination of excellent positioning, adept dribbling, and masterful passing. Known for her elaborate and precise crossing abilities, Alexandra cited former {{wp|England}} international {{wp|David Beckham}} as her main inspiration.
Considered to be one of the best dribblers in the world, Alexandra is highly regarded by many for her ability to easily get past opponents when in possession of the ball via either the elaborate {{wp|Cruyff turn}} maneuver or a simple {{wp|nutmeg (association football)|nutmeg}} with her low center of gravity and strong pair of legs allowing her to easily shift herself and the ball itself into a different spot almost instantly thereby making her a rather difficult player to mark or even dispossess. In addition, Alexandra is also well-known for her quick and precise crosses which proved very useful in setting up attacks from the sides especially given her tendency to occasionally play out wide before drifting inside with the ball akin to an {{wp|inside forward}}. Although traditionally left-footed, Alexandra is known to be able to operate effectively on either side in spite of her usually being positioned on the right from where she would mostly cut inwards using her strong foot.
Known for being a primarily deep-lying forward in the style of {{wp|Johan Cruyff}}, [[William Smith]], and {{wp|Harry Kane}}, Alexandra is highly regarded for her excellent positioning and expansive vision with her movements and positioning often serving to draw opposition center-backs away from their usual positions while also creating chances deep within the midfield area via excellent link-up play with her teammates. In this, a high work-rate saw Alexandra always being on the move around the middle of the pitch keeping an eye on the ball while also scouting potential teammates with whom to form an attacking sequence. In this, Alexandra cited the positioning and off-the-ball movements of {{wp|Bayern Munich}} forward {{wp|Thomas Müller}} whose widely-renowned tactical intelligence and overall awareness were cited by her as the inspiration behind her own playing style. Nonetheless, aside from her tactical ingenuity, Alexandra is equally known for her goalscoring prowess, being the top all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal Women}} and the {{wp|Women's Super League}}, and her simultaneous capability in creating goalscoring opportunities for either herself or her teammates, with former {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal Women}} head coach {{wp|Joe Montemurro}} describing Alexandra as "the quintessential all-rounder striker desired by elite teams capable of doing almost everything required" while {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} legend {{wp|Thierry Henry}} hailed her as an "ingenious creator" and a "consistent goalscoring machine". Similarly, {{wp|Vivianne Miedema}}, with whom she established an effective attacking partnership, has also heaped much praise on Alexandra, describing the latter as "highly dependable" and "extremely cooperative", adding, ''"At times, it does feel like whether consciously or not the two of us just have some sort of a telepathic connection between us since in most cases we both knew exactly where to be, when to move, and most importantly whether a goal was possible from a certain position"''. Fittingly, the duo, who often alternated between themselves the roles of number 10 and number 9, have been popularly compared to the likes of {{wp|Real Madrid}}'s {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Karim Benzema}} and {{wp|Manchester United}}'s [[William Smith]] and {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}.
Separately, Alexandra has also been noted for her "exemplary sense of professionalism", a trait that she revealed in an interview with {{wp|ESPN}} to have been "deeply instilled" in her at a young age by her [[William Smith|half-brother]], a successful professional footballer himself, adding that the latter also told her that "regardless of how good you are, even if naturally, you would be absolutely nothing and would not get anywhere without a tiny bit of discipline in yourself". Similarly, Alexandra's consistently high work rate has also been a subject of praise, with former {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal Women}} manager {{wp|Joe Montemurro}} once stating, ''"When you consider the fact that as her country's queen, she's also beholden with all these other tasks and duties that she has outside of football, it's just unbelievable and amazing really that she's just consistently putting this much effort in football with little signs of stopping"''. Similarly, former {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} teammate {{wp|Vivianne Miedema}} described Alexandra as "the most hardworking and dedicated teammate and striker I've ever seen", adding that "if she (Alexandra) was expected to score goals in a particular match, it is more than likely that she will do and will absolutely not stop in doing so until the time is up".
While not necessarily known to have shared or inherited her [[William Smith|half-brother]]'s infamous militaristic leadership style (hence his nickname "The General"), Alexandra has nonetheless received much praise for her great sense of teamwork which, coupled with her general friendliness towards her teammates, helped establish her as a reliable and proficient team player and who particularly excelled in that regard, especially during important matches. Accordingly, by her own admission, Alexandra described herself as "not necessarily someone who can easily and just effortlessly take charge of a huge team in an instant but who, under the right circumstances, can work well with others in times of need". Meanwhile, in a 2019 interview, former {{wp|Lionesses}} captain {{wp|Steph Houghton}} said, ''"Of course, throughout the time she was there she was never actually captain in an official sense but if necessary I would say I trust her somewhat as a team captain because in a way she just has that sense of unbroken togetherness that easily brings a disjointed team together"''.
In an August 2022 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Alexandra named former {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} teammates {{wp|Beth Mead}} and {{wp|Vivianne Miedema}} as her "favourite football buddies", stating that in a usual team setup where all three of them are available, {{wp|Vivianne Miedema|Miedema}} would normally play as a center forward while both she and {{wp|Beth Mead|Mead}} otherwise act as wingers on the right and left respectively to form what many have described as the {{wp|Women's Super League}}'s "greatest attacking trio" with all three of them currently leading the league in terms of both goals scored and assists provided. Known simply as "ABA", a combination of the first letters of their given names and a play on the name of the famous {{wp|Swedish}} pop group {{wp|ABBA}}, the trio have been popularly compared to {{wp|Real Madrid}}'s "BBC", {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}'s "MSN", and {{wp|Manchester United}}'s "WCW", all of which are considered to be some of the most decorated attacking trios in men's football. Conversely, much like her [[William Smith|half-brother]]'s well-known professional rivalries with the likes of {{wp|Thierry Henry}} and {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, on her part, Alexandra named the {{wp|Norwegian}} international {{wp|Ada Hegerberg}} as her "great rival", stating, ''"Of course, the fact that we both played for different clubs in different countries meant that we never really face each other except for in the {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League|Champions League}} but when we do face each other in that tournament, {{wp|Ada Hegerberg|Ada}} is undoubtedly one of or if not the single player that gives me the most worries ahead of a match because I knew that I would be up against a talented goalscoring machine who can give me a run for my money at any time"''. Evidently, both Alexandra and {{wp|Ada Hegerberg|Hegerberg}} themselves together dominate both the {{wp|Ballon d'Or Féminin}} and the {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League}}, namely as the only players to have won the {{wp|Ballon d'Or Féminin|award}} more than once and as players currently ranked within the top three of the {{wp|UEFA Women's Champions League|tournament}}'s all-time goalscorers with {{wp|Ada Hegerberg|Hegerberg}} in first, Alexandra in second, and {{wp|Anja Mittag}} in third.
In a 2019 interview with {{wp|People (magazine)|''People''}}, when asked about her favourite football club, Alexandra said that while she "grew up very much liking {{wp|Manchester United}}", given her [[William Smith|half-brother]]'s association and success with the club, she otherwise declared herself to be "a Gooner through and through", citing her own time of having played for {{wp|Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal}} for roughly a decade long. Since her retirement, whenever she is not preoccupied, Alexandra could be seen occasionally attending matches involving both {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s men's and women's teams, leading one {{wp|British}} football commentator to describe her as "a constant and unmistakable presence at stadiums always sternly looking at the pitch below with arms crossed and seemingly eagle-eyed precision". Likewise, {{wp|Mikel Arteta}}, who currently manages {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s men's side, described the royal as "someone who truly cares a lot about the club and who always wanted to be informed firsthand of anything that just happened".
==Media Depiction==
Known for her somewhat media-friendly persona and photogenic appearance, since ascending to the throne, Alexandra has been depicted by various people in the media and has also personally made appearances in the media herself. For instance, in an episode of the 2016 miniseries ''{{wp|Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life}}'', she appeared in a cameo role as herself who happens to befriend the character {{wp|Rory Gilmore}} played by actress {{wp|Alexis Bledel}}. In another instance, she also appeared on the reality television series ''{{wp|Running Wild with Bear Grylls}}'' where in a special final episode of the show's third season, she, along with host and adventurer {{wp|Bear Grylls}} together traversed through the {{wp|Scottish Highlands}}, an experience she later described as "challenging but fun" and "personally groundbreaking", stating, ''"Prior to doing the show, I have never been on live television where by all accounts people get to see me at my most vulnerable just trying to scale or climb hills and mountains because that's exactly what I did and the fact that I wasn't doing it in private but rather on television meant something very new to me and to some extent definitely changed me in a way"''. Owing to her popularity, the episode became one of the series' most-watched episodes with an estimated viewership of 4.51 million which topped the previous number of 3.55 million for a separate special episode involving {{wp|United States}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Barack Obama}}. Meanwhile, in 2022, Alexandra herself appeared in the {{wp|Netflix}} documentary ''[[Rise of The Lionesses]]'' as an integral former member of the {{wp|England women's national football team|England women's national team}} that won the {{wp|2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015}} and {{wp|2019 FIFA Women's World Cup|2019}} {{wp|FIFA Women's World Cup|Women's World Cups}} and the {{wp|UEFA Women's Euro 2017}}, {{wp|England}}'s first few international honours for the {{wp|England women's national football team|women's national team}}.
In addition to that, Alexandra has also appeared as herself in the popular [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hKMB1-xkc8vI04faxx5h8hfVAhgnD4t GQ: Actually Me] series, in which she, via impromptu accounts created on popular social media sites including {{wp|Instagram}}, {{wp|Quora}}, and {{wp|Youtube}}, would reply to online questions asked by internet users, as well as in {{wp|WIRED}}'s autocomplete interviews where she would reply to a random autocomplete question on the search engine {{wp|Google}}. Furthermore, Alexandra also made a celebrity appearance as herself in the long-running automotive show {{wp|Top Gear (2002 TV series)|''Top Gear''}} where in a special episode of the show's twenty-seventh season, she, along with her half-brother [[William Smith]] participated in a two-lap race around the {{wp|Top Gear test track|''Top Gear'' test track}} using their favourite personal vehicles, with Alexandra's being her {{wp|McLaren GT}} and her [[William Smith|half-brother]]'s being the latter's own {{wp|McLaren 570S}}. In the end, Alexandra herself narrowly won the race against her [[William Smith|half-brother]] with a recorded time difference of 0.60 seconds.
In both 2015 and 2019 respectively, Alexandra was featured on the {{wp|UK}} version of {{wp|EA Sports}}' ''{{wp|FIFA 15}}'' and ''{{wp|FIFA 19}}'' video games, becoming one of the first few female footballers to be featured on the cover of any {{wp|EA Sports}} games alongside the likes of {{wp|Christine Sinclair}}, {{wp|Alex Morgan}}, and {{wp|Steph Catley}}, as well as the first siblings pair to be featured on the cover along with her half-brother [[William Smith]] who was regularly featured on the {{wp|UK}} version of previous editions owing to his talent and popularity. 
==Titles & Honours==
{{Main|List of titles and honours of Alexandra}}
====Professional Football====
{{Main|List of professional football achievements of Alexandra}}
====Arms====
{| border="0" align="center" width="80%"
|-
!width=25% |[[File:RPS Alexandra.png|100px]]
!width=25% |[[File:RCS Alexandra.png|120px]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Princess of the Welsh<br>(1997 - 2017)
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Queen of the British<br>(2017 - Present)
|}<br/>
{| border="0" align="center" width="80%"
|-
!width=25% |[[File:Coat of Arms of the children of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.svg|100px]]
!width=25% |[[File:Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands.svg|120px]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Princess of Orange<br>(1997 - 2017)
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Queen of the Dutch<br>(2017 - Present)
|}<br/>
{| border="0" align="center" width="80%"
|-
!width=25% |[[File:Greater coat of arms of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2000).svg|100px]]
!width=25% |[[File:Greater coat of arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2000).svg|120px]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg<br>(1997 - 2017)
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of Arms of Alexandra, Grand Duchess of the Luxembourgers<br>(2017 - Present)
|}
== Ancestry ==
{{ahnentafel
|width=100%|align=center|collapsible=yes|collapsed=yes
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''Alexandra of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands'''
| 2 = 2. [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Christy Turlington}}
| 4 = 4. [[Charles the Great|Charles III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|Dwain Turlington}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Elizabeth Turlington}}
| 8 = 8. [[Frederick of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|William Perske}}
| 11 = 11. {{wp|Natalie Bacall}}
}}

Latest revision as of 09:52, 3 May 2024

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